Tourist(s) missing in submarine while trying to reach the Titannic

[Ming the Merciless]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/u-s-coa...-sub-1.6446841

A search and rescue operation is currently underway to locate a submarine that went missing during an expedition to the Titanic.
The U.S. Coast Guard was looking for the submarine Monday morning after it disappeared during the expedition from St. John's, N.L. The infamous 1912 wreck is located more than 600 kilometres southeast of the province in the North Atlantic Ocean.
The trip to the Titanic was being run by OceanGate Expeditions, a U.S.-based company. It uses a five-person submersible named Titan to reach the wreckage 3,800 metres below the surface. OceanGate's website advertises a seven-night voyage to the Titanic for US$250,000 per person, or approximately CA$330,000.
"We are exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely," an OceanGate spokesperson said in an email to CTV News. "Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families."


Those tours are a series of five eight-day missions to the Titanic with the money raised by tourists going towards Titanic research. Posts on social media show the ship launched from the St. John's area last week.

Did they really have 5 people in this?? Or do they have a larger version??

[loochy]

Originally Posted by Iconic

you know we are in 2023, right gramps?

When I say mixed race, I mean there's ALWAYS a token black, asian, indian, and white. ALWAYS. It's always a perfectly mixed group of characters. They always pick one of everything.

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by DaFace

It seems like a stretch to think that the knocking could be the sub to me. Kind of reminds me of the time that one of the deep space observatories was suddenly registering some crazy radio signals that they couldn't figure out the source of, and it turned out to be a nearby microwave that was malfunctioning. (I'm probably off on the details of that...)

yeah, if they had a power failure and it's 34 degrees... they'd be frozen already. i still think the hull imploded but I hope they figure the noise out

[ReynardMuldrake]

Originally Posted by notorious

I'm convinced this is an insurance scam.

It's the only explanation.

If that was true, the CEO would not be on board.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by srvy

A retired US Navy sub-Commander estimated their chance of being rescued was about 1%. That was yesterday morning when I read that its even less now.

What would be funny is if they were rescued by some 50 + year-old rescue crew.

The whole thing is so....facepalm. It's even more ridiculous because of the waivers that the participants signed. I wonder if there's any additional legal troubles that the owners will face apart from the items outlined in the waivers.

[KCUnited]

Hopefully they have some white dudes over 50 on their legal team

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by notorious

I'm convinced this is an insurance scam.

It's the only explanation.

Governments usually show up to subrogate on stuff like this when they throw millions at a potential rescue.

Moreover, I don't think you put your CEO in the doomed sub if you're trying to scam the insurance company.

When you hear hooves - don't go lookin' for zebras.

[Rams Fan]

Originally Posted by loochy

The whole thing is so....facepalm. It's even more ridiculous because of the waivers that the participants signed. I wonder if there's any additional legal troubles that the owners will face apart from the items outlined in the waivers.

I'm not sure there's much the families could do with regards to litigation due to the nature of the waivers signed that also probably absolve OceanGate from indemnification (which I'm pretty sure won't be operating anymore after this).

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Rams Fan

I'm not sure there's much the families could do with regards to litigation due to the nature of the waivers signed that also probably absolve OceanGate from indemnification (which I'm pretty sure won't be operating anymore after this).

You can't typically 'waive' claims of gross negligence. That would seem to apply here.

But ultimately, OceanGate's looking at a zero-asset bankruptcy in fairly short order, I suspect. Something tells me they aren't exactly swimming in liquidity. Oh you can try to go after the CEO's estate but there are plenty of hurdles there as well - typically operating in his corporate capacity as CEO should insulate his personal assets.

Now if they had themselves a juicy little 'key man' life insurance policy with OceanGate named as the beneficiary (completely legal, FYI) there's a decent little pot to target...

[Rams Fan]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Governments usually show up to subrogate on stuff like this when they throw millions at a potential rescue.

Moreover, I don't think you put your CEO in the doomed sub if you're trying to scam the insurance company.

When you hear hooves - don't go lookin' for zebras.

I was thinking that this site is technically in international waters, no? Or is it technically under U.S. jurisdiction?

Either way that brings open a can of worms with regard to public resources being used for commercialized travel that's risky like this or Space X/Virgin Galactic/Blue Origin.

We don't really have a governing board or body for rescues in international waters, right?

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

You can't typically 'waive' claims of gross negligence. That would seem to apply here.

But ultimately, OceanGate's looking at a zero-asset bankruptcy in fairly short order, I suspect. Something tells me they aren't exactly swimming in liquidity. Oh you can try to go after the CEO's estate but there are plenty of hurdles there as well - typically operating in his corporate capacity as CEO should insulate his personal assets.

Now if they had themselves a juicy little 'key man' life insurance policy with OceanGate named as the beneficiary (completely legal, FYI) there's a decent little pot to target...

I'd have to find the interview, but I'm pretty sure Stockton said they spend $1 million on gas alone for these voyages, so I can't see them being profitable currently.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Rams Fan

I was thinking that this site is technically in international waters, no? Or is it technically under U.S. jurisdiction?

Either way that brings open a can of worms with regard to public resources being used for commercialized travel that's risky like this or Space X/Virgin Galactic/Blue Origin.

We don't really have a governing board or body for rescues in international waters, right?

I believe that's accurate, yes.

I think that's why you see some of those fights over maritime law and salvage rights in international waters. Though I have no earthly idea how they tend to turn out.

That's such a specialized field - there are probably like a dozen guys in the world that can speak intelligently to it.

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

You can't typically 'waive' claims of gross negligence. That would seem to apply here.

But ultimately, OceanGate's looking at a zero-asset bankruptcy in fairly short order, I suspect. Something tells me they aren't exactly swimming in liquidity. Oh you can try to go after the CEO's estate but there are plenty of hurdles there as well - typically operating in his corporate capacity as CEO should insulate his personal assets.

Now if they had themselves a juicy little 'key man' life insurance policy with OceanGate named as the beneficiary (completely legal, FYI) there's a decent little pot to target...

is there any insurance underwriter who would write this maniac a huge life insurance policy for deep diving in non certified vehicles?

[Rams Fan]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I believe that's accurate, yes.

I think that's why you see some of those fights over maritime law and salvage rights in international waters. Though I have no earthly idea how they tend to turn out.

That's such a specialized field - there are probably like a dozen guys in the world that can speak intelligently to it.

That might be also why OceanGate was able to cut corners in terms of safety-who’s going to say you can’t do something if people are OK with the risk and no country or governing body has legal jurisdiction over this area?

[ReynardMuldrake]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

You can't typically 'waive' claims of gross negligence. That would seem to apply here.

But ultimately, OceanGate's looking at a zero-asset bankruptcy in fairly short order, I suspect. Something tells me they aren't exactly swimming in liquidity. Oh you can try to go after the CEO's estate but there are plenty of hurdles there as well - typically operating in his corporate capacity as CEO should insulate his personal assets.

Now if they had themselves a juicy little 'key man' life insurance policy with OceanGate named as the beneficiary (completely legal, FYI) there's a decent little pot to target...

If it's true that they knew ahead of time they were exceeding the depth rating of the window by 1000's of feet, you could argue that failure was only a matter of time. If that ends up being the point of failure. We're still not sure what the failure was at this point.

[ReynardMuldrake]

Originally Posted by Rams Fan

I was thinking that this site is technically in international waters, no? Or is it technically under U.S. jurisdiction?

I thought they were based out of Canada?

[Otter]

Live footage just before the sub became inoperable.

Warning for Graphic: