The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has initiated an examination to determine if a full investigation into the Titan submersible incident is warranted. A comprehensive probe would only occur if evidence suggests a potential violation of criminal, federal, or provincial law. This article discusses the involvement of law enforcement and the criteria for initiating a criminal investigation in the aftermath of the tragic event.
Photo Credit: OceanGate
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is now investigating the Titan submersible’s terrible loss. Authorities in the United States and Canada are working together to investigate what caused the underwater implosion and who is accountable for finding out how the tragedy occurred. Maritime organizations are scouring the region of the North Atlantic where the vessel was wrecked, resulting in the tragic deaths of all five people on board.
The debris of the Titan submersible was found approximately 3,810 meters underwater, about 500 meters away from the Titanic wreckage it was en route to explore. Given that the Titan was a Canadian-flagged vessel that departed from a Canadian port and was involved in this occurrence in international waters, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada is leading the safety investigation. However, other agencies may choose to conduct their own investigations as well.
The Titan was being towed by the Polar Prince, which left Newfoundland on June 16. The Polar Prince carried 41 passengers, including 17 crew members and 24 others. Tragically, the Titan’s implosion claimed the lives of five people. Kathy Fox, the transportation board’s chair, acknowledges the international interest in the incident and assures that the TSB will share the information gathered with other relevant agencies, such as the United States National Transportation Safety Board and the United States Coast Guard, within the bounds of Canadian law. It is vital to know that under Canadian law, voice recordings and witness testimony are protected.
In addition to the safety investigation by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has initiated an examination to determine whether a full investigation is warranted. A comprehensive probe would only take place if there is evidence suggesting a potential violation of criminal, federal, or provincial law. The initial search and rescue mission was led by the Coast Guard, involving a massive international effort that likely incurred substantial costs. However, the specific authority responsible for leading the complex investigation involving multiple countries remains unclear.
OceanGate Expeditions, the company that owned and operated the Titan submersible, is based in the United States, while the submersible itself was registered in the Bahamas. OceanGate, located in Everett, Washington, closed its operations when the Titan was found. Meanwhile, the Titan’s mother ship, the Polar Prince, hailed from Canada, and the individuals who lost their lives came from England, Pakistan, France, and the United States.
The U.S. Coast Guard, in response to the loss of the Titan submersible, has classified it as a “major marine casualty” and suggested that it would lead the investigation. However, the Coast Guard has not yet confirmed its role as the lead investigator. The deep-sea investigations that lie ahead are expected to be arduous and time-consuming due to the challenging conditions at the ocean’s depths. Rear Admiral John Mauger of the Coast Guard First District aptly describes the seafloor environment as incredibly unforgiving.
Tragic Implosion of OceanGate Founder Stockstone’s Titan Submersible
One of the investigation’s essential components will be the Titan submersible itself. Concerns have been expressed about the vessel’s unusual design and the creator’s failure to subject it to industry-standard independent checks. The Titan was not registered as a US vessel, nor was it registered with any international safety-regulating authorities. Furthermore, it lacked categorization by a marine industry association in charge of determining criteria for hull construction.
OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who was operating the Titan during the implosion, expressed his discontent with regulations that he believes could impede progress. Rush argued that requiring an external entity to thoroughly vet every innovation before real-world testing would hinder rapid innovation. However, questions surrounding the safety of the submersible have been raised by both a former company employee and former passengers.
The approximate time of the implosion has been determined in part. After the Titan was reported missing, the US Navy reviewed its acoustic data and discovered an “anomaly” compatible with an implosion or explosion in the approximate region where the vessel was operating at the time the connection was lost. Despite the fact that the information was shared with the Coast Guard, the search persisted owing to the inconclusive nature of the data. The Titan left at 8 a.m. on the day it went missing and was reported missing that afternoon, roughly 700 kilometers south of St. John’s, Newfoundland. With the aim of finding the crew, extensive resources were sent to the region.
Sadly, any hope of finding the crew members alive was shattered when the Coast Guard discovered debris near the Titanic wreckage. The victims of the implosion included Stockton Rush, two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, British adventurer Hamish Harding, and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet. As a result of this devastating incident, numerous lawsuits are anticipated. However, filing these lawsuits may prove complex, and the outcome of such legal actions remains uncertain due to challenges related to jurisdiction.
At least 46 people successfully rode on the submersible to the Titanic disaster site between 2021 and 2022, according to documentation filed by OceanGate with a U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, monitoring cases relating to the Titanic shipwreck. However, a former firm employee and past passengers have expressed worries about the submersible’s safety.
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