Family of France's 'Mr Titanic' sues OceanGate submersible operator

WASHINGTON, United States — The family of French deep-sea explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet has filed a $50 million lawsuit against the operator of the submersible that imploded during a dive to the Titanic last year, killing him and four other people.

Nargeolet's estate filed the wrongful death suit against OceanGate in the western US state of Washington, accusing the US-based company of gross negligence.

Nargeolet -- known as "Mr Titanic" -- as well as OceanGate chief executive Stockton Rush, British explorer Hamish Harding, Pakistani-British tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman died when the submersible, the Titan, failed during a June 18, 2023, expedition to the Titanic.

Tony Buzbee, one of the attorneys bringing the case, said the lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday with a court in Seattle, "alleges serious issues with the Titan submersible."

"We are hopeful that through this lawsuit we can get answers for the family as to exactly how this happened, who all were involved, and how those involved could allow this to happen," Buzbee said.

Matt Shaffer, another attorney for the Nargeolet family, said Rush, the OceanGate CEO and founder, "wasn't forthcoming with the crew and passengers about the dangers he and others knew about but the passengers and crew did not."

OceanGate suspended operations two weeks after the tragedy.

The company charged $250,000 for a seat on its submersible, but previous concerns over its safety policies came to light after the implosion.

The victims were presumed to have died instantly when the Titan, about the size of an SUV automobile, imploded under the crushing pressure of the North Atlantic at a depth of more than two miles (nearly four kilometers).

A debris field was found 1,600 feet (500 meters) from the bow of the Titanic, which sits 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland.

The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in 1912 during its maiden voyage from England to New York, with 2,224 passengers and crew on board. More than 1,500 people died.

It was found in 1985 and has become a lure for nautical experts and underwater tourists.

A US Coast Guard investigation into the implosion of the submersible is ongoing.