Meet the man who opted out of missing Titanic sub due to security concerns
A British man Chris Brown had reportedly decided to withdraw from the ill-fated Titanic trip, due to serious safety concerns.
A British man Chris Brown had reportedly decided to withdraw from the ill-fated Titanic trip, due to serious safety concerns. Brown had initially reserved a place on the OceanGate craft, which tragically went missing during a voyage to explore the shipwreck off the coast of Canada.
The submersible, named Titan, lost communication with tour operators while approximately 435 miles south of St John's, Newfoundland. The vessel carried five passengers, including British billionaire Hamish Harding, a close friend of Chris Brown who had also booked a spot on the trip. However, upon closer examination of the submersible's technology and construction materials, Brown had a change of heart about joining the voyage.
Brown raised red flags after discovering that the submersible's controls relied on a computer console-style gamepad and that the ballast was made from old scaffolding poles. These revelations, combined with technical issues and delays, caused Brown to question the safety measures implemented by OceanGate, leading to his decision to pull out of the trip.
Speaking to The Sun, Brown expressed his concerns, stating, "If you're trying to build your own submarine, you could probably use old scaffold poles. But this was a commercial craft. Eventually, I emailed them and said, 'I'm no longer able to go on this thing.' I asked for a refund after being less than convinced."
As the search and rescue teams intensify their efforts to locate the missing mini-sub, time is of the essence. Experts warn that the craft's oxygen supply is expected to expire on Thursday morning. Military planes are scouring the area while sonar buoys have been deployed in the hopes of detecting any sounds from the vessel. However, the odds of a successful rescue mission diminish with each passing moment, with concerns rising about the possibility of an "explosive decompression" on the sub.
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The paths of Chris Brown and Hamish Harding crossed during a trek to the South Pole in 2016, where they met Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon. It was during their vacation on Sir Richard Branson's Necker Island that the pair decided to embark on the Titanic trip. Both men paid substantial deposits of £8,000 each to secure their spots, but Brown's confidence waned over the years as he learned about OceanGate's failure to meet crucial depth-testing targets for Titan. Consequently, Brown, a multimillionaire, deemed the risk too high and withdrew from the voyage. As the search continues, the fate of those on board the missing vessel remains uncertain, leaving friends and loved ones anxiously awaiting any news of their well-being.
