Horror final moments of Titan sub crew: ‘They knew they were going to die’

The crew aboard the Titan sub suffered horrendously, fully aware they were going to die, a new lawsuit alleges.

The crew aboard the Titan submersible, which imploded during a descent to the Titanic wreck in June 2023, suffered horribly, a new lawsuit alleges.

The negligence case, filed by the family of French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who was one of five people that died in the north Atlantic Ocean, alleges the crew suffered “terror and mental anguish”, aware that they would soon die.

The family has filed a $US50 million lawsuit against the operator of the submersible that imploded during a dive to the Titanic last year, killing him and four other people.

The Titan submersible launching from a platform. Picture: AFP

Mr Nargeolet’s estate filed the wrongful death suit against OceanGate in the western US state of Washington, accusing the US-based company of gross negligence.

The lawsuit claims the crew attempted to abort the dive by “dropping weights” about 90 minutes into the descent.

“While the exact cause of failure may never be determined, experts agree that the Titan’s crew would have realised exactly what was happening,” the lawsuit stated.

OceanGate Expeditions CEO and founder Stockton Rush. Picture: AFP

“Common sense dictates that the crew were well aware they were going to die, before dying.”

It’s alleged the crew may have heard cracking noises indicating the sub was breaking apart — fully aware that they were doomed as they lost communication and power.

Mr Nargeolet — known as “Mr Titanic” — as well as OceanGate chief executive Stockton Rush, British explorer Hamish Harding, Pakistani-British tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman died when the submersible, the Titan, failed during a June 18, 2023, expedition to the Titanic.

Titan submersible passengers (L-R, top to bottom) Hamish Harding, Stockton Rush, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and Suleman Dawood and his father Shahzada Dawood. Picture: AFP

Tony Buzbee, one of the attorneys bringing the case, said the lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday with a court in Seattle, “alleges serious issues with the Titan submersible”.

“We are hopeful that through this lawsuit we can get answers for the family as to exactly how this happened, who all were involved, and how those involved could allow this to happen,” Mr Buzbee said.

Matt Shaffer, another lawyer for the Nargeolet family, said Mr Rush, the OceanGate CEO and founder, “wasn’t forthcoming with the crew and passengers about the dangers he and others knew about but the passengers and crew did not.”

OceanGate suspended operations two weeks after the tragedy.

The company charged $US250,000 for a seat on its submersible, but previous concerns over its safety policies came to light after the implosion.

The victims were presumed to have died instantly when the Titan, about the size of an SUV car, imploded under the crushing pressure of the North Atlantic at a depth of nearly four kilometres.

A debris field was found 500 meters from the bow of the Titanic, which sits 640km off the coast of Newfoundland.

The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in 1912 during its maiden voyage from England to New York, with 2224 passengers and crew on board. More than 1500 people died.

It was found in 1985 and has become a lure for nautical experts and underwater tourists.

A US Coast Guard investigation into the implosion of the submersible is ongoing.