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Titanic director James Cameron says the Titan sub disaster was 'entirely preventable' and accuses OceanGate of 'cutting corners' on safety
World-famous director and deep-sea explorer James Cameron has spoken out abut the OceanGate submarine disaster, saying it stained the submersible industry's reputation.
Cameron made the comments at Fremantle's Maritime Museum in Perth on Sunday, at the launch of an exhibition showcasing his record-breaking 2012 solo-dive to Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench - the deepest part of the Ocean.
He said the OceanGate Titan Submarine tragedy in June 2023 - which killed captain Stockton Rush and all four adventure tourists on board - was 'entirely preventable' and destroyed the trust of the public.
The submarine's hull imploded about 3,500m underwater as it descended to the wreckage of the Titanic, about 560km off the coast of Newfoundland.
The disaster captured the attention of the world as experts, including Cameron, criticised the vehicle's construction and safety measures.
World-famous director and deep-sea explorer James Cameron (pictured) said the OceanGate Titan submarine disaster as 'entirely preventable'
The second-highest grossing director of all time said the possibility of an implosion is 'the first and foremost principle that you engineer against.'
'And one of the tragedies, I think, is that people now think submersible diving is much more dangerous than it really is,' he told the crowd, The West Australian reported.
The sub was on descent to the wreckage of the Titanic, about 3,800m underwater, when it lost its navigation and communication at about 3,500m.
It collapsed in a matter of milliseconds, instantly killing British billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet and UK-based businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman.
The deaths broke a 63-year streak without a fatality in the industry.
Cameron suspected the company had 'cut corners' when constructing the Titan submarine, an opinion held by other submersible experts.
A blog post to the company's website in 2019 said that while the sub fell outside of accepted standards, it 'does not mean that OceanGate does not meet standards where they apply'.
OceanGate had also been sent a letter by the Marine Technology Society outlining safety concerns for the Titan in 2018, which Mr Rush reportedly 'agreed to disagree' with.
The Titan sub (pictured) imploded in June last year as it descended to the Titanic, immediately killing all five people on board
Cameron has become an expert on deep-sea diving after visiting the Titanic 33 times and completing a solo dive to the deepest known spot in the ocean in 2012
Cameron was later asked at the event if he would buy a ticket for the maiden voyage of Aussie billionaire Clive Palmer's planned replica of the Titanic.
Despite having travelled to the wreckage 33 times and directing the blockbuster 1997 film about the ship's sinking, he said 'if I had that much money, I'd spend it on science'.
Palmer announced his plans for 'Titanic II' outside the Sydney Opera House on March 14, which will recreate the ill-fated 1912 voyage from Southampton to New York by 2027.
The mining magnate reassured his audience that he was confident he'd be able to find one and start construction by 2025.
3D renderings of his plans reveal the vessel will have a grand wooden staircase, similar to the one seen in the film.
'Included in the design is a first-class grand staircase descending through most of the boat's decks all the way down to Deck F,' a statement on Palmer's Blue Star Line said.
'The staircase will start from the boat deck under a large wrought iron and glass dome, at the centre of which is a glittering 50-light crystal chandelier'.
Shortly after the implosion, Cameron raised concerns that that OceanGate may have 'cut corners' in the development and construction of the submarine