OceanGate said Thursday it is suspending all exploration and commercial operations weeks after its submersible imploded near the Titanic wreckage site, killing all five people on board.
It made the announcement "OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial operations," the company said in a brief message at the top of its website.
About two weeks ago, human remains were recovered from the wreckage of the Titan, a submersible operated by OceanGate Expeditions that was carrying the company's CEO, Stockton Rush; British billionaire Hamish Harding; French diver Paul Henry Nargeolet; and prominent Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman, on a voyage to explore the remnants of the luxury cruise liner, which sank 111 years ago.
The trip, the submersible’s third to the remains, cost $250,000 per traveler.
Debris from the Titan was found on the ocean floor near the bow of the Titanic. A remote-operated vehicle was sent roughly 12,500 feet underwater to recover its remains.
What appeared to be chunks of the Titan were transported to the Horizon Arctic, a Canadian ship. It’s unclear what parts were recovered; a particularly large piece could be seen with several large wires attached to it.
The dive started from the Polar Prince, a Canadian research vessel, on June 18, but an hour and 45 minutes in, the Polar Prince lost contact with the Titan, sparking a frantic four-day search that captured the world's attention. Multiple countries sent resources to help find the submersible.
Initially, there were concerns that the Titan would run out of air before rescuers could get to it, but officials believe it suffered a "catastrophic implosion" that killed the crew instantaneously. The cause remains under investigation.
Dawood's parents asked people in a statement after the remains were found to "keep the departed souls and our family in your prayers." Azmeh Dawood, Suleman’s aunt, recalled how Suleman had been "terrified" about going on the submersible. She said he did it because the trip fell on Father's Day weekend and he wanted to please his father, who she said was "absolutely obsessed" with the Titanic from a young age.
She said their deaths were an "unreal situation."
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada launched a safety investigation. Several previous passengers have shared eerie accounts of safety and design issues and communication failures. A former employee claimed he was fired after he raised concerns.
One of those passengers, Brian Weed, a camera operator for Discovery Channel's "Expedition Unknown," recalled how "things started going wrong" the moment he started a test dive on the Titan in May 2021. He said that "there were malfunctions with the propulsion system," leaving the passengers like "sitting ducks in the water."
Weed also expressed concern about the door's being bolted from the outside. He ultimately declined an invitation to dive again a week later.
Josh Gates, the host of "Expedition Unknown," told NBC News’ Tom Costello that he thought the vessel needed more testing.
Colin Taylor, who went on the submersible when it explored the Titanic site last July, described the communications system as "very difficult."
However, Aaron Newman, a former Titan passenger and an investor in OceanGate, said that he felt "safe" during his voyage but that there are risks in taking such expeditions.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said its investigation will focus on finding "all causal and contributing factors" in the incident "without attributing blame or civil or criminal liability." The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board will investigate what happened and issue any safety recommendations to prevent a similar tragedy.