Close to a year after the implosion of the OceanGate Titan submersible killed all five people aboard, an Ohio real estate billionaire is planning to go down to the wrecked Titanic in his own craft.
Although no date has been set, Ohio investor Larry Connor is planning to see the Titanic in person along with Triton Submarines CEO Patrick Lahey.
Mr. Lahey is motivated by the OceanGate tragedy, and wants to show people that the submersible industry is safe.
“This tragedy had a chilling effect on people’s interest in these vehicles. It reignited old myths that only a crazy person would dive in one of these things,” Mr. Lahey told The Wall Street Journal.
Mr. Lahey has previously called the OceanGate disaster a “monstrosity,” telling yachting magazine BOAT International that he tried to dissuade his friend and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet from boarding the Titan craft.
“I tried to do everything I could to discourage him from going out there. I know many people that knew him did the same thing,” he said.
Going down to the Titanic again was Mr. Connor’s idea.
“He called me up and said, ‘You know, what we need to do is build a sub that can dive to [Titanic-level depths] repeatedly and safely and demonstrate to the world that you guys can do that, and that Titan was a contraption,’” Mr. Lahey told The Wall Street Journal.
Mr. Connor has previously been down in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific, the lowest point on the surface of the planet, and all the way into outer space, visiting the International Space Station.
“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,” Mr. Connor told The Wall Street Journal.
The pair will dive in the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer, which has a depth rating of 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) according to its listing on the Triton website. The Titanic sits about 3,800 meters deep (12,500 feet).
Triton describes the Abyssal Explorer as being suitable for multiple deep dives, with a compact design that lets it maneuver around even in cramped conditions.
Compared to the experimental design of the OceanGate submersible, Triton watercraft have been used extensively, including by director James Cameron and nature documentarian David Attenborough among other clients, Mr. Lahey told Forbes last month.
“Triton has distinguished itself as a company devoted to the development of the most cutting-edge, capable, reliable, and safe subs in the world. Our products make it possible for scientists, filmmakers, explorers and journalists to safely visit the deepest, most remote, and least understood areas of our ocean,” Mr. Lahey told Forbes.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.