Mission to recover Titanic artifacts canceled months after expedition leader died in Titan sub-implosion

The company that owns the rights to salvage the Titanic wreck this week canceled its next trip to recover more artifacts, four months after the leader of its expedition died in the explosion of the Titan submersible.

RMS Titanic, Inc decided that “it would not be appropriate” to loot the same wreckage that Paul-Henri Nargeolet, the company’s director of underwater research, died attempting to explore during the June tragedy, according to documents filed in a US district court. USA on Wednesday.

Nargeolet, who was scheduled to lead the unmanned RMST 2024 mission, died along with four other passengers when the OceanGate submersible buckled under intense water pressure 12,000 feet below the surface.

The “alleged” remains of the group, as well as the last pieces of the doomed submersible, were recovered by the Coast Guard last week.

Nargeolet had already completed 37 dives and oversaw the recovery of some 5,000 Titanic artifacts. He was bringing his experience during the Titan tragedy.

Paul-Henry Nargeolet was the director of a deep-ocean research project dedicated to the Titanic. AFP via Getty Images Nargeolet died along with four other passengers when the OceanGate submersible buckled under the intense pressure of water 12,000 feet below the surface. Becky Kagan Schott Expeditions / OceanGate

“Out of respect for PH Nargeolet and his family, and the four other people who recently died at the site, and their families, the company has decided that artifact recovery would not be appropriate at this time,” the firm wrote in the documents. .

RMST also said it would not send another crewed submersible to the Titanic until “further investigation into the cause of the (OceanGate) tragedy is carried out.”

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Although RMST abandoned its plans to physically enter the Titanic in search of artifacts, the firm said it would continue to take photographs of the wreck and conduct studies to refine “future artifact recovery.”

The “alleged” remains of the group, as well as the last pieces of the doomed submersible, were recovered by the Coast Guard last week.

The decision could impact an impending court battle between the company and the U.S. government, which has been trying to stop the mission, citing federal law and an international agreement declaring the shipwreck a sacred tomb.

The RMST planned to enter the Titanic’s severed hull and head toward the famous Marconi room, where the crew sent out frantic distress signals after the passenger liner hit the iceberg.

“Today’s presentation underscores that we take our responsibilities seriously,” RMST CEO Jessica Sanders said in a statement.

The decision could impact an impending court battle between the company and the U.S. government, which has been trying to stop the mission, citing federal law and an international agreement declaring the shipwreck a sacred tomb.via REUTERS

“In light of the OceanGate tragedy, the loss of our beloved colleague Paul-Henri ‘PH’ Nargeolet and the ongoing investigation, we have chosen to modify our previous submission to only conduct unmanned reconnaissance and imaging work at this time” .

With postal cables

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Source: vtt.edu.vn

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