Family of French explorer sues over Titan sub disaster, seeks $50M

One of the people on board the Titan submersible was the French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet. The Frenchman was a true record-holder in the number of dives to the Titanic wreck, participating in 37. His family, represented by the Buzbee Law Firm from Houston, seeks to find out why and who was responsible for the tragedy. They accuse OceanGate of gross negligence.

The family is seeking more than $50 million in damages. As stated in the lawsuit, the people on the Titan knew their fate was sealed even before the submersible imploded. Nargeolet's family's attorneys emphasize that the crew members might have heard the sound of carbon fiber cracking and lost communication and power. They add that being fully aware of the vessel's irreversible malfunction, they were "experiencing terror and mental anguish prior to the Titan ultimately imploding."

While the exact cause of failure may never be determined, experts agree that the Titan’s crew would have realized exactly what was happening, according to the lawsuit cited by CNN.

The Titan disaster questions the future of private deep-sea exploration. Following the disaster, the United States Coast Guard launched a detailed investigation, part of which will include public hearings scheduled for September this year.

The Titan began its expedition on June 18, 2023. About two hours after submersion, the submersible lost contact with its mission supervisor vessel. A desperate search-and-rescue operation was launched, capturing the attention of the entire world. Everyone hoped the submersible would be found before the crew ran out of oxygen.

Ultimately, it was found that the Titan had imploded, killing everyone on board. The wreck of the submersible was discovered at the bottom of the ocean about 984 feet from the bow of the Titanic, approximately 435 miles south of St. John's in Newfoundland.