The family of renowned French deep-sea explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, known as "Mr. Titanic," is suing OceanGate for $50 million, accusing the company of gross negligence following his death in the implosion of their Titan submersible.
Claimed Lives of All Five Men
According to Ziare the lawsuit was filed in a Seattle court, according to a report by Le Figaro.
Paul-Henri Nargeolet tragically lost his life on June 18, 2023, when the Titan, a 6.5-meter submersible operated by OceanGate, suffered a catastrophic implosion while on a mission to explore the Titanic wreck.
The disaster claimed the lives of all five men aboard, including Stockton Rush, the American CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions, British businessman Hamish Harding, Pakistani tycoon Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, and Nargeolet himself.
Tony Buzbee, the family’s attorney, emphasized the lawsuit’s aim to uncover the truth behind the incident.
“We hope that through this lawsuit, we can get answers for the family about what exactly happened, who was involved, and how such a tragedy was allowed to occur,” Buzbee stated.
The complaint alleges serious issues with the submersible, presenting evidence of safety concerns that were allegedly ignored.
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$250,000 per seat
Matt Shaffer, another attorney for the family, accused Stockton Rush of being dishonest about the dangers associated with the dive. "Rush was not truthful with the crew and passengers regarding the risks he and many others were aware of," Shaffer asserted.
Paul-Henri Nargeolet dedicated his life to Titanic exploration. Between 1987 and 2010, he led eight missions, recovering over 5,000 artifacts from the wreck site in the North Atlantic off the coast of Newfoundland.
OceanGate charged $250,000 per seat on the ill-fated Titan submersible. The company suspended its operations after the tragedy, amid revelations of past safety policy concerns. The Titan lost contact less than two hours into its descent, with debris later found nearly 4,000 meters below the surface.
Multiple investigations, including one by the U.S. Coast Guard, are ongoing to determine the causes of the disaster.
