Relatives of those who lost their lives aboard the Titanic in 1912 have expressed their dismay over tourist trips to the shipwreck site, such as the OceanGate Titan submersible’s outings, considering them “disgusting” and disrespectful.
Families of the victims argue that the shipwreck, which took the lives of 1,496 people, should be treated as a hallowed underwater memorial rather than a site of thrill-seeking exploits.
John LoCascio, whose uncles lost their lives in the maritime catastrophe, severely criticized OceanGate for profiting from these tours, which he viewed as disgraceful. “What are you looking at? Are you gawking?” LoCascio questioned the motives of those who wish to visit the site and, together with other descendants, called for an immediate cessation of the tours out of respect for their ancestors’ resting place.
OceanGate recently experienced its own tragedy when the Titan, one of its vessels, disappeared with five people aboard, sparking a desperate search as the submarine’s oxygen supply started to run out. On June 22, debris from the Titan was found, and it was determined that all aboard perished due to the vessel’s implosion. Relatives of those who died on the Titanic were baffled by the appeal of such risky ventures, calling it a terrible tragedy and questioning why anyone would pay as much as $250,000 for such an experience.
A few Titanic family members, including Brett Gladstone and T. Sean Maher, suggested that if these trips are to continue, they should be strictly regulated and conducted with the utmost respect. Shelley Binder, whose great-grandmother survived the disaster, supports examining the wreckage for research purposes rather than encouraging casual tourism.
These families’ pleas underscore their desire for their ancestors’ final resting place to be treated with the reverence and dignity it deserves, reminding everyone of the human lives lost and the tragic history of the Titanic.
