Watch: Titan Sub Implosion: Coast Guard Report Reveals Who Is at Fault for TragedyNew details have surfaced in the Titan submersible tragedy. Two years after the OceanGate Expedition vessel imploded with five passengers onboard, including its CEO Stockton Rush, the United States Coast Guard found the deep-sea exploration company was to blame for the "preventable tragedy," according to the report of investigation obtained by E! News. "The board determined the primary contributing factors were OceanGate's inadequate design, certification, maintenance and inspection process for the Titan," an Aug. 5 USCG press release announcing the report said. "Other factors cited in the report include a toxic workplace culture at OceanGate [and] an inadequate domestic and international regulatory framework for submersible operations and vessels of novel design." An in-depth examination from the U.S. Coast Guard's Marine Board of Investigation published Aug. 4 found that "OceanGate's failure to follow established engineering protocols for safety, testing, and maintenance of their submersible was the primary causal factor."readTitan Submersible: What Investigators Found Intact From WreckageThe 327-page report noted that "the loss of structural integrity of the Titan's carbon fiber hull," which was glued to titanium end sections, caused the implosion on June 18, 2023, just 90 minutes into its expedition to the Titanic wreckage. In addition to Rush, passengers Hamish Harding, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood were killed in the incident. The agency alleged that OceanGate's design and testing for the Titan "did not adequately address many of the fundamental engineering principles that would be crucial for constructing a hull" that was expected to reach the Titanic shipwreck at 12,500 feet. The report also accused the company of continuing to use the submersible after a series of dives in 2022 that "compromised the integrity of the hull and other critical components of the submersible without properly assessing or inspecting the hull."Xinhua News Agency/ShutterstockAs for the structure itself, the Coast Guard noted that the design of the vessel's carbon fiber hull introduced "flaws that weakened the overall structural integrity" due to "winding, curing, gluing, and the thickness" of its material. Along with failing to conduct detailed investigations into the vessel after "mishaps that negatively impacted its hull and components during dives," the company was accused of firing and dissuading employees who expressed safety concerns. Other contributing causal factors, according to the Coast Guard's findings, included Stockton's "sustained efforts to misrepresent Titan," which provided a "false sense of safety to passengers and regulators," as well as the company's "disregard for proper storage, operational shortcuts, and failure to conduct rigorous safety assessments."EyePress News/ShutterstockThe report accused OceanGate-which charged each passenger $250,000 for the voyage-of prioritizing "operational goals and financial considerations over safety, ignoring warnings from both industry experts and internal staff." "Had OceanGate taken the warnings more seriously, involved independent safety experts, or adhered to more rigorous testing and safety protocols," the report noted, "many of the risks that contributed to the eventual implosion could have been mitigated or avoided entirely." E! News has reached out to OceanGate for comment and has not yet heard back. For a closer look at the Titan's final passengers, keep reading.
Courtesy of the Dawood familyShahzada Dawood & Son Suleman DawoodOn June 18, 2023, a deep-sea submersible Titan, operated by the U.S.-based company OceanGate Expeditions and carrying five people on a voyage to the wreck of the Titanic, was declared missing. Following a five-day search, the U.S. Coast Guard announced at a June 22 press conference that the vessel suffered a "catastrophic implosion" that killed all five passengers on board. Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood, both British citizens, were also among the victims. Their family is one of the wealthiest in Pakistan, with Shahzada Dawood serving as the vice chairman of Engro Corporation, per The New York Times. His son was studying at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Shahzada's sister Azmeh Dawood told NBC News that Suleman had expressed reluctance about going on the voyage, informing a relative that he "wasn't very up for it" and felt "terrified" about the trip to explore the wreckage of the Titanic, but ultimately went to please his father, a Titanic fan, for Father's Day. The Dawood Foundation mourned their deaths in a statement to the website, saying, "It is with profound grief that we announce the passing of Shahzada and Suleman Dawood. Our beloved sons were aboard OceanGagte's Titan submersible that perished underwater. Please continue to keep th