In June 2023, the world watched in horror as a daring dive into the deep ocean unfolded into a tragedy. It was intended to be a modern adventure to witness one of the most famous wrecks known to man, the RMS Titanic. However, within a few hours of OceanGate’s Titan submersible expedition, the sub lost contact, resulting in a viral mystery playing out in real-time. Onboard were five passengers: the CEO of OceanGate, Stockton Rush; Hamish Harding, a billionaire; Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who was a Titanic expert; and Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, a businessman and his 19-year-old son. 

This incident shocked the public, but it also raised numerous questions about the safety implications of extreme forms of tourism. With documentaries, interviews and investigations now well underway, the public has continued to dissect just what happened. Many people are left wondering, does OceanGate still operate? The tragic outcome of the company’s expedition left a resounding impact on deep ocean exploration across the globe. As Netflix’s new documentary, Titan: The OceanGate Disaster, revisits the tragedy in gripping detail, new insights may help viewers uncover the answers to their urgent questions. Here’s what to know before bingeing the documentary.  

Did OceanGate ever make it to the Titanic?

According to the Independent’s report, OceanGate’s Titan submersible did make it to the wreck, on more than one occasion, as part of the Titanic Survey Expeditions. These missions were meant to help document the condition of and assess marine life. The first time OceanGate reached the Titanic was in 2021; this was followed by some successes in 2022. But unfortunately, the missions were more often than not unsuccessful. Per the Independent, the company actually “completed fewer than 15 per cent of its attempted deep dives,” which reflected many logistical issues. Ultimately, the company completed over 14 expeditions and 200 dives with just two submersibles. But eventually, things ended in disaster.

Since the 2023 incident, OceanGate has “suspended all exploration and commercial operations.” So, it seems the tragic implosion will be the last time the company tries to reach the Titanic—at least for the foreseeable future. But many people still have many questions about how the fatal incident happened in the first place.

Who funded the company, and what happened to the owner?

OceanGate Expeditions was founded in 2009 in Everett, Washington. The privately owned company was founded by Guillermo Söhnlein and Stockton Rush, as Metro reports. In 2013 Söhnlein stepped away from OceanGate, leaving Rush as the sole CEO. Rush made money investing in tech companies, but eventually became interested in deep-sea exploration. Per Netflix, the financial practices of OceanGate are currently being investigated by the US Department of State. The final report has yet to be released, which may detail what entities actually funded the company. 

The company was founded on the idea that tourists should be able to discover the extraordinary. But eventually, things started to seem mainly for profit. With tickets running for $250,000, the company seems to have practically run itself. And according to NewsNation, in the Titan implosion hearing, “One employee described Rush as more focused on making money than science, saying they had ‘no confidence whatsoever’ in the way the submersible was being built.”

Whether or not Rush is completely (or knowingly) liable for the failure of the expedition can not be determined. He, along with four others, was a part of the tragic imploded expedition, and he unfortunately passed.

How did the Titan submersible implode?

The Titan sub lost communication shortly after submersion, so it is not exactly clear what happened. As the descent to the Titanic wreckage site continued, it is assumed that something with the Titan’s structure went wrong. As People reports, the sub was under intense pressure as it went deeper underwater. Any number of issues could be the cause of the subs implosion. A thorough investigation has been underway to determine how the submersible imploded.

Bart Kemper of Kemper Engineering, who served as a witness for the Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation hearing, has contributed some professional insight. He identified five possible causes for the implosion, including “internal localized failure” and a simple failure in manufacturing. So far, the leading assumption on what happened (based on wreckage) is that the hull’s adhesive failed and the window separated. This would lead to almost instantaneous implosion, which was likely the case with the Titan sub.

Did the OceanGate passengers know they would die?

Of course, the passengers of the OceanGate expeditions would likely not move forward with the experience if they knew they would die. As many adventurous and even dangerous experiences require, there was an airtight liability waiver to sign. This long waiver included references to death at least three times on just the front page, as a previous passenger noted in conversation with The New York Post. The same passenger also commented on how, “It’s definitely being invented as it goes along, I don’t want to disparage it, but it reminds me of the early days of aviation or the space program, where a lot of thought goes into it and then they find a problem.” 

Given that the crew and passengers were knowledgeable about some carbon fiber cracking noises well before the descent, some argue that they knew death was on the horizon. Or at least a possibility, after signing their waivers. So, there has been a massive amount of confusion about the last moments of the Titan passengers. The $50 million lawsuit against OceanGate has been a point of contention on this subject, especially because bold claims have been made. For example, the lawsuit claims that “Common sense dictates that the crew were well aware they were going to die, before dying,” per People.

What has David Lochridge said about the tragedy?

One of the most chilling factors of the Titan implosion is that the tragedy likely could have been avoided. OceanGate hired some incredibly knowledgeable people to bring their vision to life. But they seemingly did not utilize them to the best of their ability. One such addition to the team was David Lochridge, as Moviedelic reports. In May 2015, he was hired as the Director of Marine Operations at OceanGate. He also served as the Chief Submersible Pilot, so the practices of the tourism expeditions company were his top concern. 

Through the years, Lochridge gained a poor reputation at the company, but for all the right reasons. He was very vocal about safety concerns, and in 2018, those issues came to a head. Lochridge disapproved of the decision for the sub’s hull to be made of carbon fiber. In another bold move, he even refused to dive in the sub once it was completed. Yet unbeknownst to him, he would never have to since he was fired the morning after submitting his inspection report of the sub. This was Jan. 19, 2018, but he still tried to block the use of the Titan. Soon after being fired, he filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). He was a whistleblower who had to go into a witness protection program.

Ultimately, the company assumed he was responsible for the complaint. The sheer power (and money) that OceanGate had ended up pressuring Lochridge to settle the case outside of court in November 2018. Then, in fall 2024, he was called as a witness for the US Coast Guard hearing and was just as vocal about his stance. Per Moviedelic, he claimed that, “The whole idea behind the company was to make money. There was very little in the way of science.” Viewers of the new Netflix documentary will learn plenty more from his point of view, via his exclusive testimony. 

Should you watch ‘Titan: The OceanGate Disaster’?

Titan: The OceanGate Disaster is now available to stream on Netflix, and it is certainly an informational watch. The documentary presents a critical investigation into how the Titan sub carried out a doomed journey into the deep ocean in the first place. The events of official investigations, industry expert interviews and footage of OceanGate subs (and company decision makers) are the main attractions of this doc.

In addition to the exclusive testimony of David Lochridge, who became a public enemy of OceanGate after expressing safety concerns, there is much more to learn. That is, if the events are not very familiar. But does this documentary really deliver anything fresh? According to its Rotten Tomatoes score thus far, viewers seem to be underwhelmed by the release, with it earning a 60% rating. 

Still, viewers are responding online with mixed reviews. Some have expressed satisfaction with the intriguing angle the documentary takes, but others claim the slow-moving doc is just the same as past documentaries. So, people who want to learn more about the recent events concerning the Titan implosion should check it out. Otherwise, it may not offer much more than the interviews of some key players relevant to the disaster. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

How far away was OceanGate from the Titanic?

According to its last known location before it imploded, the Titan was around 1,600 feet away from the Titanic. As the Independent reports, debris from the Titan was found much closer to the wreckage, just 300m away from the bow of the Titanic.

How fast did the Titan sub implode?

According to calculations shared by the BBC, a sub implodes incredibly fast. The process occurs so rapidly that the human brain cannot process the event in the time it happens. “The time required for complete collapse is about one millisecond, or one thousandth of a second,” as former US nuclear submarine officer Dave Corley confirms.