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PM announces new help for small businesses during Swindon visit
//business-finance.news-articles.net/content/202 .. p-for-small-businesses-during-swindon-visit.html
Published in Business and Finance on Thursday, July 31st 2025 at 10:21 GMT by BBC🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
Sir Keir Starmer says smaller firms having to chase payments is "holding Britain back".
Titan Sub Disaster: Families Grieve as Hearing Exposes Safety Failures in OceanGate's Ill-Fated Dive
In a packed hearing room in Charleston, South Carolina, the weight of tragedy hung heavy as the US Coast Guard delved into the catastrophic implosion of the Titan submersible, an experimental deep-sea vessel that claimed five lives during a dive to the Titanic wreck last year. The proceedings, which began this week, have already unearthed a litany of concerns about the sub's design, operational shortcuts, and a corporate culture that seemingly prioritized innovation over safety. But amid the technical jargon and expert analyses, it was the raw, human stories of loss that cut through the room, reminding everyone of the real cost of ambition gone awry.
Christine Dawood, mother of 19-year-old Suleman Dawood, who perished alongside his father Shahzada on the doomed expedition, delivered a heart-wrenching testimony that brought the hearing to a standstill. Fighting back tears, she recounted how the trip was meant to be a father-son adventure, a bonding experience centered around their shared love for the Titanic. Suleman, a university student with a passion for Rubik's cubes and volleyball, had applied to the Guinness World Records to solve a puzzle at the deepest point on Earth. "He was so excited," Christine said, her voice trembling. "He wanted to make his dad proud." Instead, the family was left shattered when the sub vanished on 18 June 2023, only to be confirmed days later as having imploded under immense ocean pressure, killing all aboard instantly.
The Dawoods were not alone in their grief. Shahzada, a prominent Pakistani businessman and philanthropist, had dreamed of seeing the Titanic up close, inspired by the 1997 film. Christine described the agonizing wait for news after the sub lost contact, the false hopes fueled by reports of banging sounds detected underwater, which later proved unrelated. "We were holding onto every thread," she said. Her testimony painted a picture of a family torn apart, with Suleman's younger sister left to grapple with the loss of her brother and father. Christine's words echoed a broader sentiment among victims' families: a desperate need for answers and accountability to prevent future tragedies.
The hearing, expected to last two weeks, is scrutinizing OceanGate, the Washington-based company behind the Titan. Founded by the late Stockton Rush, who also died in the implosion, the firm marketed high-adventure dives to wealthy clients willing to pay $250,000 per seat. But revelations from witnesses have painted a troubling portrait of a venture that cut corners in pursuit of groundbreaking exploration. Former OceanGate employees and industry experts have testified to a series of red flags that were allegedly ignored.
One key figure was David Lochridge, OceanGate's former director of marine operations, who was fired in 2018 after raising alarms about the sub's carbon-fiber hull. In a detailed account, Lochridge described how he had urged the company to seek certification from independent bodies like the American Bureau of Shipping, but his concerns were dismissed. "Safety is not a pitch," he recalled telling Rush, who reportedly responded that regulations stifled innovation. Lochridge's testimony included claims of rushed testing and a hull that showed signs of delamination—layers separating under stress—long before the fatal dive. He even recounted a 2018 incident where the sub struck an object during a test, causing a loud bang that he believed indicated structural weakness.
Experts at the hearing have echoed these worries, explaining the inherent risks of using carbon fiber for deep-sea pressure hulls. Unlike traditional titanium or steel, carbon fiber can fatigue over repeated dives, becoming brittle and prone to catastrophic failure. Dr. Roy Thomas, a materials scientist, testified that the Titan's hull, a cylindrical design sandwiched between titanium end caps, was experimental and unproven for the extreme depths of 3,800 meters where the Titanic lies. "It's like compressing a soda can," he analogized. "Once it buckles, it's instantaneous." Acoustic data from the implosion, captured by underwater sensors, confirmed the sub disintegrated in milliseconds, leaving no chance for escape.
The hearing has also spotlighted OceanGate's operational practices. Witnesses described a lack of rigorous oversight, with the company opting out of standard maritime classifications to avoid what Rush called "unnecessary bureaucracy." Instead, OceanGate relied on its own "innovative" approaches, including real-time hull monitoring systems that, critics argue, were insufficient. Tony Nissen, a former engineering director, testified that he refused to pilot the sub due to safety concerns, telling Rush he wasn't willing to risk his life on an untested vessel. "I 100% believed there was a risk," Nissen said, adding that pressure to meet deadlines led to overlooked issues.
Beyond the technical failings, the proceedings have raised ethical questions about informed consent. Passengers, including British adventurer Hamish Harding, French Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and the Dawoods, signed waivers acknowledging the experimental nature of the dive. But families argue these documents downplayed the true dangers. Christine Dawood revealed that her son was initially terrified but went ahead to support his father. "He was just a kid," she said, questioning whether the risks were fully transparent.
The Titan's story is intertwined with the enduring allure of the Titanic, the infamous liner that sank in 1912, claiming over 1,500 lives. OceanGate positioned itself as a pioneer in making deep-sea exploration accessible, but the disaster has sparked a reckoning in the nascent industry of private submersibles. Regulators worldwide are now eyeing stricter rules, with the US Coast Guard's investigation potentially leading to recommendations for international standards.
As the hearing progresses, more witnesses are slated to appear, including representatives from Boeing, which briefly consulted on the Titan's hull before withdrawing. Emails and documents presented so far suggest a pattern of dismissed warnings, with one 2018 letter from the Marine Technology Society urging OceanGate to certify the sub, calling its approach "reckless."
For the families, the hearing is a painful but necessary step toward closure. Christine Dawood ended her testimony with a plea: "Please find out what happened so no other family goes through this." Her words underscore the human toll of the disaster, a stark contrast to the adventurous spirit that drew the victims to the depths. Shahzada and Suleman were remembered not just as explorers, but as a devoted father and son whose final moments were spent together in pursuit of wonder.
The implosion has also reignited debates about the ethics of Titanic tourism. Critics argue that turning a mass grave into a thrill-seeker's destination disrespects the site's historical significance. Yet, proponents like OceanGate saw it as a way to fund preservation and research. The company's collapse following the disaster— it suspended operations indefinitely—leaves a void, but also a cautionary tale.
Investigators have recovered debris from the seafloor, including twisted remnants of the hull, which are being analyzed for clues. Preliminary findings point to a failure at the interface between carbon fiber and titanium, exacerbated by prior damage from dives. The exact trigger remains unclear, but experts suspect cumulative stress from multiple expeditions weakened the structure.
In the broader context, the Titan tragedy echoes past maritime disasters, from the Titanic itself to the Challenger space shuttle explosion, where hubris and haste overrode caution. Rush, often described as a visionary, once boasted that the sub would "change the game" for ocean exploration. Instead, it has become a symbol of what happens when innovation outpaces safety.
As the hearing continues, the world watches, hoping for reforms that honor the lost. For Christine Dawood and others, the pain is unending, but so is the resolve to ensure their loved ones' deaths were not in vain. The ocean's depths, once a frontier of mystery, now serve as a somber reminder of human limits.
Read the Full BBC Article at:
[ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxy99eg88ro ]
