PATRICK Lahey has revealed he wants to take a submersible to explore the Titanic with the help of a real estate billionaire.
The private submersible industry was rocked after five people were killed when a vessel built by OceanGate imploded en route to the Titanic last year.
Who is Patrick Lahey?
Patrick Lahey, co-founder of Triton Submarines, is one of the world's most experienced divers.
The co-founder has been involved in underwater exploration since 1975, according to Forbes.
He had previously called the submersible involved in the OceanGate disaster "a monstrosity".
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His friend and Titanic Expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, was one of the five tragically killed.
Patrick recalled begging his friend not to dive in the uncertified submersible.
He said: "I tried to do everything I could to discourage him from going out there.
"I know many people who knew him did the same thing."
The deep sea explorer is planning a visit to the Titanic wreckage with the help of US billionaire Larry Connor.
Patrick said: "Connor told me that they wanted to show the world that they could make repeated safe voyages and build a carrier that could rival the Titan."
What are Triton Submarines?
Founded in 2008, Triton Submarines is renowned for creating some of the most capable and innovative civilian submersibles worldwide.
Triton subs have taken multiple famous names on deep sea dives including David Attenborough and award-winning film-maker James Cameron.
These vessels were also used to film BBC's landmark TV series, Galapagos.
Triton subs captured the world's first 4k footage of the Titanic and was the first manned descent to the wreck in over 14 years.
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Patrick said his company is "devoted to the development of the most cutting-edge, capable, reliable and safe subs in the world".
Triton is expected to return to the wreckage of the Titanic in the summer of 2026.
The project called, "The Explorer - Return to the Titanic" will see their "Trtion 4000/2" reach depths of more than 12,000ft to see the wreck of the infamous ship which sank in 1912.
The same model was used when filming underwater scenes for Blue Planet II.
What happened to OceanGate's Titan submersible?
On June 18, 2023, a submersible was sent out by OceanGate Expeditions to explore the iconic Titanic wreckage.
By June 19, OceanGate's submarine had not returned, prompting a search by the Coast Guard for the missing vessel.
Titan is understood to have lost contact with its mothership above water, called the Polar Prince, just one hour and 45 minutes into the expedition.
After days of searching, the Coast Guard announced the deaths of all five passengers onboard on June 22, confirming a "catastrophic implosion" had taken place.
It was reported the submersible suffered an instant and intense pressure in the North Atlantic's deep waters.
Experts had previously cautioned this may occur due to the intense pressure at extreme depths and further warned the Titan's hull could implode.
The Titan was designed by a team of NASA engineers but was reportedly steered by a reinforced PlayStation controller and had no GPS system.
After five days of searching, "major pieces" of the Titan were found near the Titanic wreck.
