Warning: This article includes spoilers for Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster!
Netflix’sTitan: The OceanGate Submersible Disasterdelves into the Titan implosion in 2023, and the testing and previous dives provide insight into the danger of the OceanGate trip to the Titanic wreckage. Since the 1912 tragedy, thetrue story of theTitanichas remained in the public consciousness, with numerous movies telling versions of the stories before James Cameron’s titular 1997 movie. However, that film definitely caused a boom in individuals wishing they could go down to see the wreckage.
The company OceanGate, run by CEO Stockton Rush, decided that they would cater to these individuals by producing a submersible that could reach a depth of 3,810 meters (12,500 feet). Unfortunately,a series of poor decisions and safety oversights led to OceanGate’s Titan submersible imploding in 2023. At the time, the disaster became a social media phenomenon, with numerous memes circulating. Two years later, theNetflix documentaryTitan: The OceanGate Submersible Disasterlooks back on the incident. The history of OceanGate’s Titan before the disaster provides significant insight into the dangers of the 2023 dive.
OceanGate’s Titan Submersible Imploded On “Dive 88”
OceanGate dubbed the Titan’s expedition on August 01, 2025, “Dive 88,” indicating that the experimental submersible had made 87 dives prior to the tragedy. (For clarity, those aren’t all successful dives.) Passenger Hamish Harding, who died in the implosion, confirmed in a chillingInstagrampost made days before that the dive was the first of 2023 due to the “worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years.” It would also be the last. The implosion of the Titan immediately killed operators Stockton Rush and Paul-Henri Nargeolet and passengers Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, and Suleman Dawood.
Titan’s Success Rate For Titanic Dives Were Very Low
OceanGate’s Titan Acknowledged Its Low Success Rate In Its Waiver
Less than a month after OceanGate’s Titan imploded during a dive,Business Insiderobtained the waiver that passengers needed to sign in order to go on “Dive 88” thanks to a prospective passenger. The 4-page document reveals that the Titan only successfully reached the depths of the Titanic wreck 13 times in less than 90 dives. If we’re going based on the understanding that they’d made 87 dives (since the tragedy occurred on Dive 88), that makes the success rate only 14.9%, which is disturbingly low.
What’s more, the waiver mentions the possibility of death nine times, three of which are on the first page. It also discloses that the vessel isn’t certified, is made from materials not typically used in manned subs, and is “experimental.” This waiver paints a clear picture of the danger that the Titan passengers were facing.
What Happened To Titan During OceanGate’s Testing Stage
Stockton Rush Was Warned Many Times That The Titan Wasn’t Safe
OceanGate’s testing stage on the actual submersible (not models), which started in June 2018, was dubious, asthe company itself led the testing without third-party oversight. Despite claiming that Boeing, NASA, and the University of Washington collaborated with them on the submersible, this isn’t entirely accurate, according to all three organizations (viaBusiness Insider). While Boeing and the University of Washington worked with OceanGate very briefly, they denied any involvement in the design or testing of the Titan. Additionally, NASA said that they consulted on manufacturing processes and materials, they were not involved in the manufacturing or testing.
[Director of Marine Operations David Lochridge] listed 25 problems with the submersible, including the flammable material in the hull and zip ties replacing secure fasteners.
Despite having no oversight, OceanGate was made aware of many concerns from many individuals.Wiredreceived internal documents, emails, and photographs that revealed issues throughout the testing phase.The model test for the Cyclops 2, later called the Titan, imploded at the 73-minute mark when it hit 6,500 pounds per square inch, which was well below the safety margin. Despite this, Stockton Rush allegedly moved forward with the design without changes and began tests on the actual submersible. According to Wired’s interviews with former OceanGate employees (the sources are protected), employees who raised concerns were patronized or fired.
A whistleblower named David Lochridge worked at OceanGate as the director of marine operations, and he refused to sign off on the transfer to the operations team for testing. According toABC News, he listed 25 problems with the submersible, including the flammable material in the hull and zip ties replacing secure fasteners, in the document “OceanGate Cyclops 2 Quality Control Inspection Report.” He also begged them to find a new testing method to detect cracks and holes in the hull. The next day, OceanGate fired him, which led to a drawn-out lawsuit and counter-lawsuit that was eventually settled.
A competing OceanGate documentary calledImplosion: The Titanic Sub Disasterreleased two weeks ago on Max.
Similarly, according toThe New York Times, Will Kohnen, the chairperson of the Marine Technology Society’s manned submersibles committee, sent a letter back in 2018 expressing unanimous concern from industry experts about OceanGate not following the DNV-GL safety standards and recommending a testing program reviewed by the American Bureau of Shipping or Det Norske Veritas (DNV). They predicted “catastrophic” consequences. Rather than speculating about his thoughts, Stockton Rush’s attitude on safety and rules can be summed up in his own words from a CBS interview with reporter David Pogue (viaBusiness Insider). He said this:
“At some point, safety just is pure waste. I mean, if you just want to be safe, don’t get out of bed. Don’t get in your car. Don’t do anything…I think I can do this just as safely while breaking the rules.”
