EVERETT, WA (National Presse) – The estate of Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French explorer who died in last year’s tragic Titan submersible implosion, has filed a lawsuit against OceanGate Inc., the company that built the submersible and organized the fateful expedition to the Titanic wreck site. The lawsuit, submitted in Washington state, also targets the estate of OceanGate’s co-founder and CEO, Stockton Rush, along with other entities involved, seeking damages exceeding $50 million.
The complaint alleges that Rush’s decision to use carbon fiber for the submersible’s hull—a material not traditionally used in submersibles—along with his refusal to obtain certification, directly contributed to the disaster. It asserts that such certification could have provided essential external expertise, potentially preventing the implosion, and claims that the passengers likely knew their impending fate.
Nargeolet, Rush, and three others perished when the Titan imploded in June 2023 during an attempt to reach the Titanic wreckage. Among the victims was a 19-year-old individual.
“Nargeolet may have died doing what he loved, but his death—and the deaths of the other Titan crew members—was wrongful,” states the lawsuit, filed in King County. It further claims that the “catastrophic implosion” resulted from “persistent carelessness, recklessness, and negligence” by OceanGate, Rush, and other defendants.
The lawsuit highlights that OceanGate ignored warnings from deep-sea diving experts and engineers about the submersible. It notes that modern commercial submersibles for deep-sea exploration are typically made from titanium, but Rush opted for carbon fiber, deeming titanium unnecessarily heavy.
Rush’s decision to forgo certification by DNV, a maritime safety classification organization, meant there were no independent assurances before the doomed voyage.
As of Wednesday, it was unclear whether OceanGate had legal representation in this civil suit. The company’s website offers no contact information and states that “OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations.”
The Titan’s disappearance on June 18, 2023, led to a massive international search effort spearheaded by the U.S. Coast Guard. The search concluded with the discovery of debris and human remains, which have since been returned to shore.
Nargeolet, an experienced diver known as “Mr. Titanic,” had completed 37 dives to the Titanic wreck over his career. OceanGate employed him for his expertise at the wreck site.
Following the disaster, the Coast Guard launched a Marine Board of Investigation to determine the cause of the implosion. A public hearing is set for September 16.
Also killed in the implosion were British billionaire Hamish Harding and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman.
The lawsuit includes a chilling allegation that the Titan crew would have been aware of the imminent implosion. It describes the crackling noise carbon fiber makes under pressure and mentions an “acoustic safety system” installed by Rush to detect such noises and alert the pilot.
“While the exact cause of failure may never be determined, experts agree that the Titan’s crew would have realized what was happening,” the suit states. “Rush’s ‘acoustic safety system’ would have alerted the crew to the cracking hull, prompting an abort attempt. Common sense dictates that the crew knew they were going to die before the implosion.”
The lawsuit seeks damages amounting to at least $50 million.
