The disappearance of the submersible OceanGate Titan on Sunday on a mission to examine the Titanic debris has captivated the world’s attention for days.
The vehicle’s wreckage was found yesterday; its implosion on impact killed all five people inside. Many knowledgeable individuals have shared their thoughts on this tragedy.
But few are as familiar with the dangers and rewards of exploring the ocean depths as Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron.
Not only did he direct the blockbuster picture Titanic in 1997, but he is also a dedicated ocean explorer who has made 33 visits to the site of the ship’s sinking.
Cameron is now speaking out about how he feels about the Titanic disaster and the reasons he wouldn’t have boarded the ship.
Anyone who has watched many James Cameron films can attest to the director’s fixation with futuristic gadgets and the exploration of previously unexplored environments, whether they in space or the ocean’s depths.
This is based on Cameron’s genuine sense of exploration. Cameron told the New York Times in 2011 that he “loved not only amazing ocean exploration but space, too.
” As the famous quote goes, “I can think of no greater fantasy than to be an explorer and see what no human eye has seen before.
” In 2012, Cameron made history by diving to the bottom of the Mariana Trench all by himself, capping off an impressive career as an explorer. He has logged over 70 dives in a submersible, 33 of which were to the Titanic’s sunken remains.
Cameron was no doubt personally invested in the plight of the crew on the Titan submarine as it attempted to reach the Titanic disaster.
Cameron, though, claims he had safety concerns regarding the Titan sub and has accused OceanGate of slacking off on safety.
“I wouldn’t have boarded that submarine” I had serious doubts about the reliability of the technologies they were using.
Cameron said to the BBC, “I wouldn’t have gotten in that sub,” adding that he thinks OceanGate “didn’t get certified because they knew they wouldn’t pass.
” Cameron told Reuters, “OceanGate shouldn’t have been doing what it was doing, I think that’s pretty clear,” adding that he wished he had “been more vocal” about his worries from the start. I wasn’t paying close enough attention, so I didn’t realise they hadn’t been certified.
Photographed by Ocean Gate / Handout / Anadolu Agency and made available on Getty Images.
When asked whether he would go on a dive with OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who was killed in the sub’s explosion, Cameron answered, “I wasn’t interested.
” Rush was one of the people lost in the accident. Many people were worried about this group and its submarine.
Mr. Cameron, who has constructed his own submersible vehicles, told ABC News that he was concerned about the company’s choice to utilise carbon fibre as material and called it “fundamentally flawed,” despite the fact that Mr.
Rush had defended his decision.Realised it was a collapseAfter consulting with other members of the deep submergence group, Cameron was justified in his assumption that the Titan had been destroyed in an implosion when it vanished on Sunday.
Cameron knew the five guys on board were dead as the rest of the world waited in hope for news. Cameron told CNN that the destruction of a secondary system with its own pressure vessel.
And battery power source was the only explanation he could think of. This system required an implosion, he said.
As the author puts it, “I got on the horn again with some other people, tracked down some intel that was probably of a military origin.
Although it could have been research—because there are hydrophones all over the Atlantic—and got confirmation that there was some kind of loud noise consistent with an implosion event.”
Photographed by Ocean Gate / Handout / Anadolu Agency and made available on Getty Images.
To me, it was sufficient evidence. I informed everyone in my inner group that we had lost several of our buddies. I also suggested that we all toast them on Monday.Disaster compared to the Titanic.
The Coast Guard said Wednesday that the debris they recovered was consistent with the “catastrophic loss” of the submersible’s pressure chamber, and that all five people aboard “have sadly been lost.” Mr. Cameron’s fears were confirmed to be right.
Cameron claims there are striking similarities between the Titanic and this tragedy, both of which were caused by sailors throwing caution to the wind and sinking their ships.
Cameron told ABC News, “I’m struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship, and yet he steamed up full speed into an ice field on a moonless night.
” “And many people died as a result, and for us very similar tragedy where warnings went unheeded to take place at the same exact site.”
Hearing James Cameron’s thoughts on the recent events and his worries about the OceanGate vehicle’s safety is fascinating given his expertise in underwater research. The victims and their families remain in our thoughts and prayers. I beg you, pass this around!