The OceanGate tragedy is an event which has divided opinions across the world. From those who believe the billionaires aboard had it coming, to those who sympathize with the victims of the devastating disaster and say they deserve our utmost respect, everyone has their thoughts. Now, several weeks after the misadventure, James Cameron – director of numerous Hollywood blockbusters including 1997’s Titanic – has given his two cents.
Cameron Criticized OceanGate for the Undersea Catastrophe
The Hollywood filmmaker criticized OceanGate – the company behind the Titan submersible which recently imploded, killing five people – claiming it lacked “rigor and discipline.” The director also called for more regulations for deep-sea vessels to help prevent future tragedies. He made the comments while speaking at an event in Ontario, Canada.
The Director Is an Underwater Exploration Veteran
Cameron isn’t new to the subject of submersibles. The Titanic wreckage was discovered in 1985 and, since then, the director has visited it a whopping 33 times. “The Titanic was the Mount Everest of shipwrecks and, as a diver, I wanted to do it right. When I learned some other guys had dived to the Titanic to make an IMAX movie, I said ‘I’ll make a Hollywood movie to pay for an expedition and do the same thing.’ I loved that first taste and I wanted more,” he said.
The Fatal Voyage Was an “Outlier”
Cameron spoke about how submersibles are usually incredibly safe: “No fatalities, no incidents, no deaths, no implosions — until today.” He went on to call the disaster an “an extreme outlier of a data point.” The filmmaker said it “in a sense proves the rule” and that “the rule is we’ve been safe for half a century.”
A Friend of Cameron’s Died in the Disaster
Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who was also known as “Mr. Titanic” due to his expertise when it comes to the subject, died in the disaster. He was an experienced deep-sea explorer. Cameron described him as a “good friend” and praised his submarine piloting abilities.
Cameron Was Shocked by the Submarine Accident
The director found the OceanGate disaster emotional and shocking. He said: “It’s like a gut punch. You don’t expect it because you don’t expect an implosion to happen because that’s what you spend all your time and all your finite element analysis and your computer simulations and everything else to prevent.”
The Director Suggested OceanGate Neglected Submarine Safety
Cameron went on to criticize OceanGate for not taking the same safety precautions. “But they obviously didn’t do that,” he said, referring to the aforementioned safety practices. “They didn’t approach it with that same rigor and discipline.”
Cameron Called for New Submarine Safety Regulations
Cameron went on to call for new safety regulations. The director said they should “treat any kind of passenger vehicle the same way you treat a ship that takes passengers” and he emphasized that the Titan would fall into that category. He said that, during his dives, he never worried about the possibility of an implosion because they had “tested everything” and “that’s how it should be.”
These Weren’t Cameron’s Only Comments About the OceanGate Tragedy
These weren’t the director’s only comments about the OceanGate disaster. In an interview with the BBC, Cameron claimed the OceanGate submersible wasn’t certified because the company “knew” it wouldn’t pass. He said: “I was very suspect about the technology that they were using. I wouldn’t have gotten in that sub.”
The OceanGate Co-founder Bounced Back
Responding to Cameon’s comments in the previously mentioned BBC interview, Guillermo Söhnlein — who co-founded OceanGate in 2009 — said: I think one of the issues that keeps coming up is everyone keeps equating certification with safety and ignoring the 14 years of development of the Titan sub. Any expert who weighs in on this, including Mr. Cameron, will also admit that they were not there for the design of the sub, for the engineering of the sub, for the building of the sub, and certainly not for the rigorous test program the sub went through.”
Redditors Were on Cameron’s Side
Reddit users discussed the director’s comments and Söhnlein’s response. “The OceanGate co-founder can use as many words as he wants. The actual outcome of the ‘rigorous’ testing was an imploded sub after only a handful of dives,” one person said. Most agreed, finding Söhnlein’s words to be meaningless.
Many Redditors Expressed Their Agreement With Cameron
Other Reddit users explained why they agreed with Cameron. “He’s not wrong. Cameron is actually a pro and knows what he’s talking about — but you don’t need to be a pro to know the CEO is to blame for this,” one person said, with many others echoing their sentiment.
Others Thought the Matter So Clear It Barely Deserved a Response
“Seems reasonable,” one person commented. Others said things like “damn straight” and talked about how OceanGate is obviously to blame. Others left comments such as “the investigation about this accident is going to be called ‘OceanGate Gate’” and some even directly expressed their lack of interest in the topic.
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