Family of French explorer killed in Titan implosion files $50M lawsuit

The family of French explorer Paul Henri Nargeolet , who died in the Titan submersible implosion during a deep dive to the wreckage of the Titanic, is suing for more than $50 million . The lawsuit claims that on June 18, 2023, the sub suffered a catastrophic pressure loss at a depth near the Titanic wreckage, leading to the deaths of all five aboard. Priced at $250,000 per seat, the trip was marketed as a unique opportunity to see the Titanic wreckage up close.

The family said the crew of five people on board experienced “terror and mental anguish” before the disaster and accuse OceanGate, the sub’s operator, of gross negligence.

Long before the disaster, safety experts expressed concerns about the Titan’s design , warning that its experimental approach could lead to catastrophic outcomes. Despite these warnings, the lawsuit alleges that OceanGate concealed the submersible's defects, particularly from Nargeolet, a seasoned diver known as "Mr. Titanic" for his 37 dives to the shipwreck — more than any other diver worldwide.

Additionally, the suit details the improvised and risky nature of the sub's design , such as its reliance on a commercial video game controller for navigation and a carbon fiber hull ill-suited for deep-sea pressures. It also criticizes the acoustic safety system, which was meant to detect hull stress but merely signaled imminent failure without preventing it.

On the fatal dive, as the sub reached critical depths. It is claimed that the crew attempted to abort the mission by dropping weights, realizing too late that the vessel was doomed.

The lawsuit marks the first legal action in this high-profile case, with a U.S. Coast Guard investigation ongoing and a key hearing scheduled soon.

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