Current:Home > StocksA company cancels its plans to recover more Titanic artifacts. Its renowned expert died on the Titan-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
A company cancels its plans to recover more Titanic artifacts. Its renowned expert died on the Titan
lotradecoin trading tutorial videos View Date:2024-12-25 16:39:16
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The company that owns the salvage rights to the Titanic shipwreck has cancelled plans to retrieve more artifacts from the site because the leader of the upcoming expedition died in the Titan submersible implosion, according to documents filed in a U.S. District Court on Wednesday.
The decision could impact a looming court battle between the company and the U.S. government, which has been trying to stop the 2024 mission. U.S. attorneys have said the firm’s original plans to enter the ship’s hull would violate a federal law that treats the wreck as a gravesite.
Paul-Henri Nargeolet was the director of underwater research for RMS Titanic, Inc, the Georgia-based firm that recovers and exhibits Titanic artifacts. Nargeolet was lending his expertise to a separate company, OceanGate, when he and four others died on the Titan’s final dive near the Titanic in June.
Before the tragic dive, RMST planned to take images inside and outside of the wreck. The firm also wanted to retrieve items from the debris field as well as freestanding objects within the sunken ocean liner.
Nargeolet was supposed to be in charge. The former French navy officer had already completed 37 dives and supervised the recovery of about 5,000 Titanic artifacts. RMST’s exhibits have displayed items ranging from silverware to a piece of the ship’s hull.
The company’s original 2024 expedition plan also included possibly retrieving objects from the ship’s famed Marconi room. That’s where the Titanic’s radio broadcast increasingly frantic distress signals after the ocean liner hit an iceberg.
The messages in Morse code were picked up by other ships and receiving stations onshore, which helped to save the lives of about 700 people who fled in life boats. There were 2,208 passengers and crew on the Titanic’s sole voyage from Southampton, England, to New York.
The company said Wednesday in its court filing that its plans now only include imaging at the wreck site and surveys to refine “future artifact recovery.”
“Out of respect for P.H. Nargeolet and his family, and the other four people who perished so recently at the site, and their families, the company has decided that artifact recovery would not be appropriate at this time,” the firm wrote.
RMST also said it will not send another crewed submersible to the Titanic until “further investigation takes place regarding the cause of the (OceanGate) tragedy.” The U.S. Coast Guard is leading the probe into the Titan’s implosion.
Meanwhile, it’s unclear how the change in plans could impact RMST’s budding legal fight with the U.S. government. The company’s filing appears to suggest that it no longer plans to enter the ship’s hull, which the government said would break the law.
A hearing was still scheduled for Friday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, which oversees Titanic salvage matters.
“Today’s filing underscores that we take our responsibilities seriously,” RMST CEO Jessica Sanders said in a statement.
“In light of the OceanGate tragedy, the loss of our dear colleague Paul-Henri ‘P.H.’ Nargeolet, and the ongoing investigation, we have opted to amend our previous filing to only conduct unmanned imaging and survey work at this time,” she said.
Lawyers for the U.S. government did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
The court case hinges on federal law and a pact between the U.S. and Great Britain to treat the sunken Titanic as a memorial to the more than 1,500 people who died.
In August, the U.S. argued in court filings that entering the Titanic’s severed hull — or physically altering or disturbing the wreck — is regulated by the law and its agreement with Britain. Among the government’s concerns was the possible disturbance of artifacts and any human remains that may still exist.
The company has not directly responded to the government’s claims in court. But in previous cases, RMST has challenged the constitutionality of U.S. efforts to “infringe” on its salvage rights to a wreck in international waters. The firm has argued that only the court in Norfolk has jurisdiction, and points to centuries of precedent in maritime law.
In a filing with the court earlier this year, RMST said it did not plan to seek the government’s permission regarding its original expedition plans. But those plans have changed.
The firm said it “will not recover artifacts at this time, nor conduct other activity that would physically alter or disturb the wreck,” the company wrote Wednesday.
veryGood! (25)
Related
- A slain teacher loved attending summer camp. His mom is working to give kids the same opportunity
- Thousands attend annual EuroPride parade in Greek city of Thessaloniki amid heavy police presence
- Martin Mull, beloved actor known for Fernwood 2 Night, Roseanne and Sabrina the Teenage Witch, dies at 80
- UFC 303 live results: Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka fight card highlights, how to stream
- Big Georgia county to start charging some costs to people who challenge the eligibility of voters
- Bardet wins hot and hilly opening Tour de France stage in Italy while Cavendish struggles
- NBA free agency tracker: LeBron opting out of contract but expected to return to Lakers
- Martin Mull, scene-stealing actor from 'Roseanne', 'Arrested Development', dies at 80
- How a small group of nuns in rural Kansas vex big companies with their investment activism
- NASCAR recap: Joey Logano wins chaotic Nashville race in five overtimes
Ranking
- Emily in Paris' Ashley Park Reveals How Lily Collins Predicted Her Relationship With Costar Paul Forman
- Usher's Sweet Tribute to Fatherhood at 2024 BET Awards Got Us Fallin' in Love
- Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris Mark the End of First Pride Month as a Couple in an Adorable Way
- How are Texas, Oklahoma celebrating SEC move? Pitbull, pep rallies and more
- Demi Lovato opens up about how 'daddy issues' led her to chase child stardom, success
- Thousands attend annual EuroPride parade in Greek city of Thessaloniki amid heavy police presence
- Whether math adds up for US men's Olympic team remains to be seen | Opinion
- James Harden returns to Los Angeles in Clippers' first move of NBA free agency
Recommendation
-
Family of man killed by Connecticut police officer files lawsuit, seeks federal probe of department
-
TikTok is shocked at these hilarious, unhinged text messages from boomer parents
-
Summer doldrums have set in, with heat advisories issued across parts of the US South
-
Terry Dubrow and Heather Dubrow's Family Photos Are Just What the Doctor Ordered
-
US unemployment claims fall 7,000 to 227,000 in sign of resiliency in job market
-
Trump Media stock price down more than 10% after days-long rebound in continued volatility
-
Dakota Johnson Joins Chris Martin's Kids Apple and Moses at Coldplay's Glastonbury Set
-
MLB trade deadline 2024: Another slugger for Dodgers? 4 deals we want to see