Paul-Henri Nargeolet, known as "Mr. Titanic," was among the five who perished when the Titan submersible suffered a catastrophic failure during an expedition to the notorious Titanic wreck site in the North Atlantic in June 2023.
The experimental submersible, operated by OceanGate, was involved in a tragic voyage that resulted in no survivors , leading the Washington state-based company to cease its operations.
Having completed an impressive 37 dives to the Titanic, Nargeolet was renowned for being the most seasoned diver to have visited the famous shipwreck and was acknowledged as a leading authority on it. His estate's legal representatives have released a statement through email, condemning the Titan as a "doomed submersible" with a "troubled history."
They claim that OceanGate deliberately concealed vital information about the vessel's state and intentionally covered up its flaws. An 'enthusiastic' British billionaire regarded the ill-fated Titan sub as the 'only option' for a Titanic visit.
A friend of a victim from the Titanic submersible had cautioned that the ill-starred vessel was 'getting weaker each time'.
"The lawsuit further alleges that even though Nargeolet had been designated by OceanGate to be a member of the crew of the vessel, many of the particulars about the vessel's flaws and shortcomings were not disclosed and were purposely concealed," stated the Buzbee Law Firm from Houston, Texas .
OceanGate has chosen not to comment on the lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday in King County, Washington. According to the legal documents, Nargeolet worked for OceanGate and was also part of the crew on the Titan when it sank.
Tony Buzbee, the lawyer for the victims, said a main goal of the lawsuit is to "get answers for the family as to exactly how this happened, who all were involved, and how those involved could allow this to happen."
After the tragedy, people had questions about why the Titan sank, which some think was because of its unusual design and how the person who designed it didn't listen to safety advice, making some wonder if private deep-sea explorations are a good idea.
The US Coast Guard quickly started a thorough investigation, which is still going on, and a very important public hearing is set for September. On June 18, 2023, the Titan started its last trip, but it disappeared underwater just hours after leaving.
The wreckage of the doomed vessel now lies scattered on the ocean floor, notably close to the Titanic's resting place. The tragedy claimed the lives of OceanGate CEO and cofounder Stockton Rush, who was at the helm when disaster struck, British explorer Hamish Harding, and both Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood from a prominent Pakistani family.
Billionaire plans to take new submarine to Titanic wreck to prove its safety following OceanGate implosion.
OceanGate 'dismissed clear danger' of Titanic sub and 'were aware of risks' before implosion that resulted in 5 deaths.
RMS Titanic Inc. , the Georgia-based company that owns the salvage rights to the Titanic, recently embarked on its first journey to the wreckage site in years.
The expedition, which is the first since 2010, departed from Providence, Rhode Island last month.
Nargeolet served as the director of underwater research for RMS Titanic. According to the lawsuit, one of the expeditions he led was the initial visit to the Titanic in 1987, shortly after its location was discovered.
The legal team for his estate depicted him as a seasoned expert in underwater ventures who would never have taken part in the Titan mission if full disclosure had been given by the company. The suit blames the tragedy on what it describes as the "persistent carelessness, recklessness and negligence" of OceanGate, Rush, and their associates, stating, "Decedent Nargeolet may have died doing what he loved to do, but his death - and the deaths of the other Titan crew members - was wrongful," according to the filed claim.
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