A new deep-sea expedition had set off to tour the wreck of the Titanic – just over a year after the company’s lead researcher was one of five killed in the OceanGate submersible implosion.
The multipurpose offshore vessel M/V Dino Chouest initially left from Louisiana, and stocked up on supplies in Rhode Island before setting off on Friday, WJAR reported.
The mission run by RMS Titanic, Inc. – the firm that owns salvage rights to the famous ocean liner – hopes to capture the most detailed images of the underwater wreck using up-to-date equipment, the company explained.
Once the Dino Chouest reaches the ship’s resting place about 350 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, two remotely operated vehicles equipped with cameras will be deployed to survey the site.
The operation — the company’s first Titanic trip since 2010 — is expected to take about 20 days, according to RMS Titanic Inc. spokesperson Jon Hammond.
The research team will also pay tribute to Paul-Henri Nargeolet, RMS Titanic, Inc.’s director of underwater research, who was killed last June when the OceanGate Titan submersible imploded during a foolhardy deep dive to view the wreck.
“This expedition will obviously be very poignant for many of our expedition team,” Hammond told WJAR of the latest mission.
“They have actually created a plaque that one of the ROV’s will take down and leave at the site,” he said.
Nargeolet and four others – including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush – vanished when the submersible lost communication with its mother ship less than two hours into the risky dive.
An extensive search effort eventually found debris from the Titan about 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic.