A US billionaire plans to prove the safety of the personal-sub industry by descending to the Titanic's wreck with a new submersible a year after the tragic OceanGate incident. 

US Billionaire Introduces New Submersible Bound to Titanic Depths

According to Evening Standard, in June 2023, the Titan submersible imploded during a Titanic expedition, resulting in the deaths of five people, namely British adventurer Hamish Harding, Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, and French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

Larry Connor, an Ohio-based investor with an estimated net worth of around $2 billion, told The Wall Street Journal that he wanted to reassure the public about the safety of deep-sea exploration. Connor collaborated with Patrick Lahey, founder of Triton Submarines, to prove that such missions can be conducted safely. 

Lahey revealed that Connor approached him shortly after the Titan disaster, proposing the development of a submersible capable of safely reaching Titanic's wrecks multiple times.

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Larry Connor's Exploration of the Mariana Trench

Larry Connor has previously explored the Mariana Trench, the world's deepest oceanic trench. He intends to undertake the Titanic expedition in a two-man vessel designed to dive to 4,000 meters.

Patrick Lahey has been a vocal critic of OceanGate, both before and after the disaster, questioning their safety practices. He emphasized that most submersibles are safe due to rigorous testing, distancing the broader industry from OceanGate's issues. 

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