Larry Connor, a United States billionaire and real estate mogul from Dayton, is planning to introduce a safer submarine to launch another groundbreaking deep-sea expedition to the Titanic’s depths. This venture aims to restore confidence in the safety of such expeditions following last year’s tragic OceanGate incident, as reported by Marca.
Connor intends to dive more than 12,400 feet to the Titanic wreck site in a cutting-edge submersible, accompanied by Patrick Lahey, co-founder of Triton Submarines. Lahey has engineered a $20 million vessel named the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer, a two-person submersible designed for multiple deep-sea missions safely and reliably.
The objective of their expedition is to demonstrate that deep-sea explorations can be conducted without peril, even after the disastrous implosion of the Titan submersible in June 2023. Connor explained, “I want to show people worldwide that while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life-changing if you go about it the right way.”
Connor emphasized the technological advancements that have made the new submersible possible. “Patrick has been thinking about and designing this for over a decade. But we didn’t have the materials and technology. You couldn’t have built this sub five years ago,” he said.
The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate, tragically imploded on June 18, 2023, resulting in the deaths of all five passengers, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding, French Titanic authority Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood along with his 19-year-old son, Sulaiman. The Titan was en route to the Titanic site when it suffered a catastrophic failure.
Industry experts and a whistleblower had earlier voiced concerns about the Titan’s safety, partly due to OceanGate’s decision to forgo certification from recognized safety bodies such as the American Bureau of Shipping and Det Norske Veritas in Europe.
