Dallas businessman gives personal insight into victims of Titanic-bound submersible implosion
As the recovery effort continues in the North Atlantic Friday, FOX 4 is getting some personal insight from a Dallas businessman into the adventurous lives of two of the five victims killed onboard the Titan submersible.
"Unfortunately, we knew in the submersible community that something like this was likely to happen," said Victor Vescovo, founder of Caladan Oceanic.
Vescovo is a private equity investor and a submersible pilot.
He knew two of the victims well, including Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
"In fact, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, the Frenchman, worked for me as my chief technical advisor. Later, he was a consultant and safety officer on my first expedition," Vescovo said.
Vescovo also considered British adventurer Hamish Harding a dear friend.
He shared photos of the two going up into space.
They also went on several deep-sea dives together.
"Hamish Harding was someone I took down to the bottom of the Challenger deep, and actually, he and I spent more time at the bottom of the ocean than any two people ever have on a single mission," Vescovo said. "And then we went into space together. So he had become a very good and close friend and adventurer, and I will miss him very much. I'll miss both of them very much."
Titanic-bound submersible implosion: Searchers hunt for clues amid complex investigation
The U.S. Coast Guard said an official inquiry had not yet been launched because the agencies involved are still looking for clues about what caused the vessel to fall apart.
The Titan's fatal implosion has drawn attention to how these expeditions are regulated.
The Titan operated in international waters, far from the reach of many laws of the United States or other nations.
It wasn't registered as a U.S. vessel or with international agencies that regulate safety, nor was it classified by a maritime industry group that sets standards on matters such as hull construction.
Stockton Rush, the OceanGate Expeditions CEO and Titan pilot who was among the dead, had said he didn't want to be bogged down by such standards.
Vescovo said his friends sadly paid a fatal price.
"There should be rules that if someone is taking or paying passengers into the deep ocean, that they need to abide by these standards, as all of the rest of us have been doing on an informal basis," he said.
Experts say wrongful death and negligence lawsuits are likely in the Titan case, and they could be successful.
But legal actions will face various challenges, including waivers signed by the Titan passengers that warned of the myriad of ways they could die.