The last person to see the five crew members of the Oceangate Titan Sub alive has shared the final words he spoke to them before their deadly dive.
This story is part of a new BBC documentary titled Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster, which follows the US Coast Guard’s investigation into the submersible’s implosion.
Tym Catterson, a submersible pilot and contract safety diver for Oceangate, helped the crew board the sub before the dive. He recalled helping the youngest crew member, 19-year-old Suleman Dawood, into the vessel. Catterson said to Suleman, “Have a good dive.” He became emotional remembering that moment, knowing it was the last time he saw the crew alive.
The documentary also reveals serious safety concerns raised before the dive. Consultant Antonella Wilby reported hearing a loud crack during a test dive, but Oceangate ignored this warning. A US Coast Guard expert said these ignored concerns likely caused the hull to fail and led to the deaths.
Suleman Dawood’s mother, Christine Dawood, spoke in the documentary. She blamed Oceangate’s late CEO Stockton Rush for the disaster. Christine shared that she gave up her seat on the sub for her son and criticized the company’s arrogance.
She said, “Why is ego and arrogance more important than safety? The irony is not lost on me that the Titanic sunk for exactly the same reasons.”
Oceangate ended the documentary with a statement. They said they are fully cooperating with the investigations and expressed their deepest condolences to the families. They declined to comment further until the inquiry is complete.
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