A Titanic historian whose great-grandmother and great-uncle survived the disaster more than 100 years ago has called for an end to “shabby and disgusting” trips to visit the doomed liner.
Shelley Binder condemned deep-sea tourism trips to Titanic’s ‘burial site’ after five men were killed instantly last week when an OceanGate submersible suffered a ‘catastrophic implosion’ en route to the 1912 shipwreck.
The victims were British billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French naval veteran PH Nargeolet, and wealthy Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman.
Ms. Binder, whose great-grandmother Leah Aks and great-uncle F. Phillip Aks were among the approximately 700 survivors of the Titanic disaster, is certain her relatives would not have approved of the $250,000 per capita trip to the shipwreck.
“It’s my gut feeling [that my great-grandmother] wouldn’t be for it. “She died in 1967, so she probably wouldn’t be able to comprehend such an idea,” she told the US Sun.
Shelley Binder (pictured), whose great-grandmother and great-uncle survived the Titanic disaster more than 100 years ago, has called for an end to “shabby and disgusting” trips to the doomed liner
Mrs. Binder’s great-grandmother Leah Aks (right) and her great-uncle F. Phillip Aks (centre) survived the Titanic disaster
Ms Binder (centre) wants to end tourist trips to the Titanic after five men were killed instantly en route to the 1912 shipwreck
This is the first full-size digital scan of the Titanic shipwreck. About 1,500 people died in the 1912 disaster
“But would she approve it? No. Her experience on the Titanic influenced her immensely for the rest of her life. She was completely devastated by this [and] tortured by it.
“And I know my great-uncle wasn’t for it. When they found the Titanic in 1985, he said to me, “I wish they would just leave the ship alone.”
Her great-uncle was just 10 months old when he was separated from his mother in the early hours of April 15 when the ocean liner struck an iceberg and began to sink.
Somehow, the two ended up on the same lifeboat – the Carpathia – and were reunited in the ship’s hospital wing.
Ms Binder added that those who lost loved ones on the Titanic view the wreck as a mass burial site rather than a tourist attraction.
She said it was a “miracle” that she was here today because both of her relatives survived, but that the bodies of some families had never been recovered and it was their “final resting place”.
“For those families … they find it cheesy and disgusting to go there,” she added.
Ms Binder described the disaster as a “terrible” incident that left men, women and children dead “in the most painful way”. She added that one could see the wreck without having to physically venture 12,500 feet into the Atlantic.
The retired professor continued, “Did you really see much looking out of those windows?” Why not just dig a giant pit in your backyard, burn $250,000 and then watch the 8K footage of the wreck, that you recently uploaded online?
The Titan submersible, pictured here, imploded last week with five men on board
19-year-old college student Suleman (left) and his father Shahzada Dawood (right) were two of the five victims who died instantly when the OceanGate submersible suffered a “catastrophic implosion.”
British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding (pictured) died in the devastating implosion
French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) was also on the submarine along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of OceanGate
Other relatives of Titanic’s passengers also agree that they should be left alone. Helen Richardson, 40, of Norfolk, is the great-great-granddaughter of Christopher Arthur Shulver, a firefighter on the Titanic who survived the sinking before being killed in an explosion on the RMS Adriatic, another White Star liner, in 1922.
Speaking to Web last week, Ms Richardson said: “It should be left alone.” It’s a place where all these poor people lost their lives and even for those who survived it’s a tragic place .”
Meanwhile, Meme Bell, whose relative Sam Williams was a stoker and died on the Titanic, told this newspaper: ‘It should be left alone now… It’s not a tourist attraction, it’s a cemetery… Let them rest in peace.’
Born in Southampton in 1884, Mr Williams was unmarried and left a pregnant girlfriend who named her son Sam in his honour.
Marilyn Furze agreed: “This is the resting place of my great-uncle Alfred John Harding of Southampton.” I believe it should be left alone.’
Mr Harding, who was a ship’s steward, was the son of Alfred John Harding and Mabel Alice Stainer – both of Hampshire origin.
And Ellie Bryant told Web: “My husband’s great-grandfather rests with the ship at the bottom of the sea.” First-class passenger John Bradley Cummings. Leave him in peace.’
Born in Boston in 1872, Mr Cummings was married to Florence Briggs Thayer – who was also on the Titanic when it began to sink. They were both among the group of first class passengers being taken to Lifeboat 4. Mr Cummings told his wife he would follow in a later boat but did not survive.
The US Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the underwater implosion of the submersible Titan, which disappeared last Sunday, and has not ruled out human remains being found – while suggesting the investigation could lead to criminal charges.
Captain Jason Neubauer, who is leading the U.S. Coast Guard investigation into the ship’s implosion, said they are in contact with the families of the five people killed and that investigators would “take every precaution on the spot in case we come across a human.” Remains.’
The US Coast Guard said last Thursday that all five people on board the submersible died after the ship suffered a “catastrophic implosion.”
Rear Admiral John Mauger of the First Coast Guard District confirmed that the Coast Guard had initiated a Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) into the “loss of the submersible and the five people on board.”
He added: “The MBI is also responsible for accountability related to the incident and can make recommendations to the relevant authorities to impose civil or criminal sanctions if necessary.”
After the devastating incident, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush came under criticism for seeking wealthy clients to support his expedition as he struggled to turn a profit.
Insiders say Rush, who died on board, used his powers of persuasion to prevent clients from being turned away over safety concerns by respected figures in the exploration community, reports The Times.
Patrick Lahey, president of Triton submarines, told the newspaper, “He was able to convince even someone who knew and understood the risks… it was really quite predatory.”
A self-proclaimed innovator, Rush has never sought certification or classification for his ship. He insisted regulators couldn’t keep up with his technology.
Around 1,500 passengers died when the Titanic (pictured) collided with an iceberg and sank in the Atlantic
Its combination of a carbon fiber cylindrical fuselage and titanium end caps was considered a dangerous design flaw by industry experts and has been suggested as the probable cause of the Titan’s implosion.
Mr Lahey, who has been in the field for 43 years and whose Triton submarines have been featured on the BBC’s Blue Planet, added: “At the time this monstrosity was being built I was building the most capable submarines of our time .”
Dozens of industry leaders and researchers also warned Rush in 2018 that the company’s “experimental” approach could prove “disastrous.”
This year he fought back, saying he was “sick of industry players trying to stop innovation with a security argument.” He seemed annoyed by the “obscenely safe” regulations, which he saw as an impediment to development.
Tragically, it now appears that failure to heed those concerns – including warnings about Titan’s “flawed” carbon fiber hull – has proved fatal.