Within the next three weeks, a pair of documentaries — one on the Discovery Channel and another on Netflix — exploring the June 2023 OceanGate submersible disaster will be airing on TV.
On Wednesday, May 28, the Discovery Channel will air “Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster” which explores the factors leading up to that fateful day, from the founding of the OceanGate company by CEO Stockton Rush to the start of construction of the Titan — a first-of-its-kind carbon fiber submersible designed to take tourists down to the Titanic for a trip of a lifetime.
“Implosion” provides a detailed account of the final mission, culminating in the tragic implosion, and igniting conversations about the necessary parameters of deep-sea exploration and safety protocol in the aftermath.
For the first time ever, global adventurer Josh Gates will unveil new footage inside the Titan, shot in 2021 for his long-running Discovery Channel series “Expedition Unknown” – only months before the submersible started missions to the Titanic shipwreck. An unsettling interview with Rush, paired with a problematic test dive, ultimately caused Gates to halt production on the planned episode.
Featuring candid interviews with technicians and deep-sea explorers involved with the Titan’s test dive, as well as longtime friends and colleagues of Rush’s, the special also delves into the insufficient protocols and warning signs that were detected on the submersible — and ultimately ignored.
According to Howard Lee, Chief Creative Officer of US Networks and President of Discovery Networks:
“The Titan story captivated the world’s attention from the moment the vessel lost contact with the surface. In this special, we will probe into the fascination with exploration, the risks that we are willing to take, and the ultimate price one can pay when pushing the limits of technology. It is a compelling journey into the haunting reality of this tragedy.”
In addition, Netflix will air its own program, “TITAN: The OceanGate Disaster,” on June 11.
That show focuses on the years leading up to the incident that dominated headlines, examining Rush’s quest to become the next world-renowned change-maker and culminating in the doomed underwater endeavor.
According to director Mark Monroe:
“When the Titan submersible went missing, I was horrified and mesmerized by the 24/7 news coverage and global social commentary — just like the rest of the world. There was no context for what could have happened to those onboard, and the only touchpoint was the Titanic, a story that’s now become a grim fairy tale. The more I dug into this terrible tragedy, the more intrigued I became about how this could have ever happened in the first place, and who exactly was the man who built and then went down with this ship. We hope that this film can help provide answers to these very questions.”
