The wreck of the Titanic, which rammed into an iceberg in the North Atlantic off the coast of Newfoundland in 1912, killing 1514 people, still fascinates many people around the world. As a result, numerous divers and experts repeatedly venture on dives to the sunken luxury steamer - something that is not exactly without danger at a depth of around 3,800 meters.
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In this context, the diving accident involving the OceanGate's Titan submarine last June shook people around the world. After the boat initially disappeared, a large-scale search operation was launched. Ultimately, however, all five occupants died as the submarine imploded. Billionaire Hamish Harding was among them. An experience that is likely to put off other curious people considering a diving expedition - or so you might think.
Ambitious millionaire from the USA takes a new dive
As reported by German publications news.de, Der Spiegel, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) as well as The Guardian, there is actually someone who has not been put off by the June 2023 disaster. Even more surprising, the tragedy is listed as motivation.
US billionaire Larry Connor has come out and spoke to the Wall Street Journal about how he wants to attempt an expedition to the Titanic wreckage. He says he wishes to prove that, with the right equipment, the whole thing need not lead to disaster. The Guardian continues:
Connor (...) is being taken seriously because of his past record of explorations.
The American real estate investor from Dayton told the Wall Street Journal:
I want to show people worldwide that while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life-changing if you go about it the right way.
Specially designed submersible for new experiment
Now the plan is to return to the deep sea with an optimised submersible currently called Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer. To get this new submarine, The Guardian explains that Larry Connor 'intends to team up with the deep-sea explorer Patrick Lahey'. In an interview with New York Times the billionaire explained:
Ours is not just a trip to the Titanic, It’s a research mission … to demonstrate to people around the globe that you can build a revolutionary, first-of-its-kind sub and dive it safely and successfully to great depths.
As it stands Connor and Lahey are still designing the submarine and a date for the expedition has not been disclosed.
The Guardian reports that the collaboration between Connor and Lahey is more than expected as the two men have been on an expedition together before. Moreover, the men were watching closely when OceanGate's Titan when missing. It should also be noted that, even before the disaster, Patrick Lahey was one of the first experts to criticise OceanGates for its lack of safety precautions. Lahey once referred to the submarine as a mere 'contraption' and in June 2023, he said that Stockton Rush (founder of OceanGate who passed away in the disaster) was 'predatory' in his way to try to convince influential people to embark on the Titan.
This article was adapted from Gentside DE
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Sources:
news.de: Nach Titan-Katastrophe: Nächster Milliardär will mit U-Boot zur Titanic
Spiegel: Ein weiterer Milliardär will zum Wrack der »Titanic« tauchen
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: Milliardär plant nächste Expedition zum Titanic-Wrack
The Guardian: Ohio real estate tycoon plans to take new submersible to Titanic wreck
