YouTuber describes 'incredibly risky' 2022 trip on Titan where 'batteries drained'
A YouTuber who who once took a trip to the Titanic on the missing Titan submersible has spoken of how he spent two hours missing at the ocean’s depths.
Mexican actor Alan Estrada was on board Titan in July 2022 when its batteries suddenly lost power at the wreck of the Titanic.
Estrada, who spoke as search teams intensified the search to find Titan as its oxygen supply ran out, described the trip as “incredibly risky” – and those on board were made to sign a death waiver in case things went wrong.
Live: Follow the latest updates in hunt for missing sub here
He said: “I, honestly, as a participant in these expeditions, knew perfectly well the risks we were involved in.
“We signed a release, several sheets, I don't remember how many, which explains each of the risks you run, including losing your life.
“We, those who are involved in these expeditions, know it is an incredibly risky expedition. We know that we are not going to an amusement park.”
Estrada's trip to the Titanic wreckage was quickly aborted when the Titan’s batteries drained to 40% – meaning the planned four-hours at the wreckage site was cut to one so that they could resurface safely.
Speaking on his YouTube video, he said: “For safety reasons this is completely understandable when the last battery – the submersible has two batteries – when the second battery has only 40%, it is necessary to return to the surface for safety.
“This means that the four hours that they tell you that you are going to be down there are not fulfilled.”
Estrada also spoke of a communications issue which meant the group on board ran the risk of becoming lost at sea.
Missing Titanic submersible - Read more:
OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush defended after warnings about 'potential catastrophe'(Yahoo News, 4 min)
Graphic shows enormous depth of Titanic wreckage (Yahoo News, 2 min)
All-out search for Titanic submersible as hours of oxygen left inside vessel (Herald Scotland, 4 min)
Fate of missing Titan submersible's passengers may rest on one man (Sky News, 2 min)
Ships and experts from across the world now helping with search efforts(Yahoo News, 5 min)
It was only after Titan rose again that it managed to reconnect with the ship at the surface and the vessel was able to resume its journey down to the Titanic.
Estrada’s comments come as it emerged a group of experts wrote a letter to Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, who owns Titan, about potential safety concerns.
The letter warned that “the current ‘experimental’ approach” of the company could result in problems “from minor to catastrophic” over its plans to take wealthy customers to the Titanic wreckage and the way Titan was developed.
Former OceanGate employee David Lochridge also raised concerns over “safety and quality control issues regarding the Titan to OceanGate executive management”, according to court filings.
Titan lost communication with tour operators on Sunday while about 435 miles south of St John’s, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck off the coast of Canada.
On board areBritish billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding, UK-based businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman Dawood, and OceanGate’s chief executive and founder Stockton Rush, as well as French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
