Naval expert and former submarine commander Ryan Ramsey has called for an end to trips to the wreck of the Titanic. In an interview with RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland, Ramsey said that the site is essentially a location where many people died, and as such, it should be left alone.
Ramsey also commented on the recent catastrophic implosion of the OceanGate submarine, which led to the death of five people on board. He explained that there were two potential reasons for the implosion: a catastrophic failure of the pressure chambers, or a hatch failure, which tied in with the fact that there had been constant communications until they stopped suddenly.
The debris found close to the Titanic wreck is unlikely to yield more than the discovery of the wreckage, with little chance of the men’s remains being recovered. The families of the five men on board would now receive some form of closure, but it was a tragedy, and this is the conclusion of that tragedy. The wreckage found at the site would now have to be analyzed in an effort to discover what happened.
Experts have been questioning why such a trip had been allowed to happen. Ramsey believes, most submersibles and definitely submarines are regulated. They go through really thorough safety checks, very, very stringent maintenance and all that. So unless they’re completely capable of sailing and tested and I think in this particular case, just from the literature that’s available and footage it appears to have been less regulated than many others.
When asked if he thought such deep sea dives should be banned, Ryan Ramsey said, I’m torn with this because, in essence, lots of these events, commercial or otherwise, test the limits of human endurance, pushes our limits a bit. But in this particular case, the Titanic was a graveyard, and lots of people died when the ship went down. And I think trips to the Titanic in particular should probably stop.
Ramsey suggested that the investigation could offer conclusions and lessons for the wider maritime community. The authorities would need to focus on why this happened and turn around and go, Right, what more can we do to make sure that this is regulated and is safe?
Ramsey’s comments come as a warning to the maritime industry, which has already invested millions of dollars into shipwreck expeditions. The Titanic, in particular, draws great interest from tourists and explorers alike. However, based on the comments by Ramsey, it appears that the costs of these trips to the Titanic may outweigh the benefits, and people should not tamper with the remnants of a tragic event like the sinking of a ship where so many lost their lives.
