OceanGate Suspends Operations After Tragedy

Company says all submersible trips are off, at least for the near term
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 6, 2023 1:05 PM CDT
OceanGate Suspends Operations After Tragedy
This photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions shows a submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic.   (OceanGate Expeditions via AP, File)

Has OceanGate sent its last submersible to the deep? The company behind last month's tragic Titanic excursion has suspended operations, reports NBC News. Details of exactly what that means were not immediately clear: The entirety of the company's announcement on its website reads, "OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations." The move comes nearly three weeks after five people—including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush—were killed when the submersible they were in imploded during a journey to the wreck of the Titanic.

Though all OceanGate passengers signed disclaimers before their trips, the company could yet face lawsuits as well as criminal charges. The US Coast Guard is investigating what happened, as is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, notes ABC News. The latter says it is looking into whether "the circumstances indicate criminal, federal or provincial laws may possibly have been broken." OceanGate, a private company founded in 2009, hasn't responded to media inquiries about its future, per the Guardian. (More OceanGate stories.)

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