James Cameron, the acclaimed director of the film Titanic, recently spoke out about the OceanGate expedition, expressing regret for not being more vocal about his concerns prior to the Titan submersible’s ill-fated journey.
Cameron, who has extensive experience with deep-sea exploration and submersibles, critically stated that OceanGate, a company known for operating submersibles for tourism, industry, and research, “shouldn’t have been doing what it was doing.” His comments suggest that there was a lack of due diligence and oversight on the part of the diving company. Moreover, Cameron admitted he was “unaware that they weren’t certified” as he hadn’t been closely monitoring the expedition.
Drawing a chilling parallel between the Titan tragedy and the sinking of the Titanic, Cameron said, “It’s about warnings that were ignored.” He told Reuters that the Titanic is at the bottom of the ocean not due to the materials it was made from but because of “bad seamanship.”
Cameron recounted how the Titanic’s captain was warned of icebergs ahead on a moonless night, yet chose to proceed at full speed for reasons still debated. This, he points out, reflects a haunting similarity to the recent tragedy involving the Titan submersible.
In a scathing remark, Cameron emphasized the tragic irony by saying that now, in the same spot, “there’s one wreck lying next to the other wreck, for the same damn reason.”
This raises alarming questions about the measures taken to ensure the safety of the Titan expedition, and echoes a historical pattern of ignoring warnings – a negligence that has, yet again, resulted in a disaster at sea. The incident serves as a grim reminder that history, when not learned from, is doomed to repeat itself.
