American wants to go down on Titanic after OceanGate's Titanic disaster - says it's safe

To prove the safety of traveling to the "Titanic" after the disaster of the "Titan" submersible by OceanGate last year, a real estate investor from Ohio plans to lower a two-person submersible to the sunken liner.

Larry Connor told The Wall Street Journal: "I want to show people around the world that, although the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be beautiful, enjoyable, and truly life-changing if you approach it right.".

Connor is working with Patrick Lahey, co-founder and CEO of the submarine manufacturer Triton Submarines. The entrepreneurs aim to show that such expeditions can be conducted repeatedly and safely. In the accident involving the "Titan" submersible in June last year, five people were involved, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush.

Connor called Lahey a few days after the disaster and said, "You know what we need to do, we need to build a submarine that can repeatedly and safely dive and show the world that you guys can do it.".

Larry Connor, who has previously visited the Mariana Trench, the deepest oceanic trench on Earth, said they plan to make the journey on a two-person ship called the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer. The number 4000 denotes the depth in meters that it can reach. He does not disclose when the descent will take place.

Lahey was one of many industry figures who criticized OceanGate before and after the disaster, blaming the company for not following safety protocols. After the accident, he called Rush's approach to convincing people to dive "quite predatory." Other industry representatives and companies also expressed their concerns.

The "Titan" disaster raised concerns in the industry, with some experts calling for a review of the approach to transporting people to such dangerous locations. However, Patrick Lahey believes that OceanGate's problems are not representative of the entire industry: certified submersibles are considered very safe due to the many tests they undergo. Rob McCallum, a former OceanGate consultant who warned Rush of the dangers, agreed with this assessment.