ANOTHER billionaire is rumoured to be plotting a secretive underwater mission to wreck of the Titanic two years on from the Titan disaster.
The world watched in horror back in 2023 as a frantic rescue mission uncovered the tragic end of the Titan vessel and its five passengers.
AFPThe world watched in horror back in 2023 as a frantic rescue mission uncovered the tragic end of the Titan vessel[/caption]
Triton SubmarinesLarry Connor and Triton Submarines co-founder Patrick Lahey are reported to be considering a trip[/caption]
Triton SubmarinesTriton Submarines are reportedly building a new submersible that could handle the 12,500ft depths[/caption]
Voyaging to the bottom of the ocean is fraught with potential hazards, as the devastating incident laid bare.
OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush was among the five who died when the submersible imploded near the wreck of the Titanic.
A recent damning report set out the catalogue of fatal failures that led to the disaster.
But despite the risks, another wealthy enthusiast is expected to attempt the deep sea voyage in the near future.
While rumours are flying around ocean exploration circles that a fresh trip is imminent, the details are tightly under wraps.
One knowledgeable source told The New York Post: “I heard that somebody is going down to the Titanic in a couple weeks.
“What I can tell you is that it’s a billionaire.
“Going down there will cost $10 million. You would recognise his name.”
The source added that they don’t want to ruin the surprise the billionaire is believed to have in mind.
“He’ll want to make an announcement that he is the first person to go to the Titanic since the tragedy,” they said.
While the identity of the mystery explorer remains unknown, there has been no shortage of interest in such a voyage among billionaires.
Trips to the bottom of the ocean cost vast sums of money, meaning it is only realistically open to those with the deepest pockets.
The late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Wall Street magnate Ray Dalio, and Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich are among those believed to have owned submersibles, according to The New York Post.
But the BBC reported in May last year that businessman Larry Connor and Triton Submarines co-founder Patrick Lahey were plotting a journey.
Lahey is reportedly building a new submersible that could handle the 12,500ft depths.
He told The New York Post: “Besides it being a wreck of historical significance, the fact that it lies at such great depth makes it fascinating to visit.
“Titanic is a wreck that’s covered in marine life and soft coral.
“People want to go there for the same reason that they want to climb Mount Everest.”
An investigation into the Titan disaster released by the US Coast Guard found the tragedy was “preventable” and driven by “critically flawed” practices.
The report stated: “For several years preceding the incident, OceanGate leveraged intimidation tactics, allowances for scientific operations, and the company’s favourable reputation to evade regulatory scrutiny.
“By strategically creating and exploiting regulatory confusion… OceanGate was ultimately able to operate Titan completely outside of the established deep-sea protocols.”
The submersible, which was owned and operated by OceanGate Expeditions, imploded on June 18, 2023 while en route to the Titanic site.
All five people on board were killed instantly under the extreme pressure.
Investigators added that, had Stockton Rush survived, they would have recommended the Department of Justice consider a criminal probe.
How the Titan tragedy unfolded
By Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital)
FIVE men plunged beneath the surface of the North Atlantic in a homemade sub in a bid to explore the Titanic wreckage.
Four passengers paid £195,000 each to go on the sub, with the fifth member of the trip being a crew member.
But what was supposed to be a short trip spiralled into days of agony as the doomed Titan vanished without a trace on June 18, 2023.
The daring mission had been months in the making – and almost didn’t happen at the hands of harsh weather conditions in Newfoundland, Canada.
In a now chilling Facebook post, passenger Hamish Harding wrote: “Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023.
“A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow.”
It would be his final Facebook post.
The following morning, he and four others – led by Stockton Rush – began the 12,5000ft descent towards the bottom of the Atlantic.
But as it made its way down into the depths, the vessel lost all contact with its mother ship on the surface, the Polar Prince.
It sparked a frantic four-day search for signs of life, with the hunt gripping the entire world.
There was hope that by some miracle, the crew was alive and desperately waiting to be saved.
But that sparked fears rescue teams faced a race against time as the passengers only had a 96-hour oxygen supply when they set out, which would be quickly dwindling.
Then, when audio of banging sounds was detected under the water, it inspired hope that the victims were trapped and signalling to be rescued.
It heartbreakingly turned out that the banging noises were likely either ocean noises or from other search ships, the US Navy determined.
Countries around the world deployed their resources to aid the search, and within days the Odysseus remote-operated vehicle (ROV) was sent down to where the ghostly wreck of the Titanic sits.
The plan was for the ROV to hook onto the sub and bring it up 10,000ft, where it would meet another ROV before heading to the surface.
But any hopes of a phenomenal rescue were dashed when Odysseus came across a piece of debris from the sub around 1,600ft from the Titanic.
The rescue mission tragically turned into a salvage task, and the heartbroken families of those on board were told the devastating news.
It was confirmed by the US Coast Guard that the sub had suffered a “catastrophic implosion”.
Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate, who died in the implosion
ReutersRay Dalio, Founder of Bridgewater Associates, is among those rumoured to have owned a submerisble[/caption]
YouTubePresident and Co-Founder of Triton Submarines Patrick Lahey[/caption]