RCMP Newfoundland and Labrador Superintendent Kent Osmond: “Review does not necessarily mean anything criminal has occurred.” [Image; Screen grab from CTV Montreal video]
When the ship that launched the doomed submersible Titan, the Research Vessel Polar Prince, returned to St John’s, Newfoundland, Saturday, among the many first to board it had been investigation groups from the Canadian Transportation Safety Board (TSB) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police RCMP. While the TSB investigation got here as no shock, the RCMP involvement is maybe much less anticipated — although a excessive rating RCMP official says “such investigations are common.”
News that the Canadian investigations had been beginning was adopted by an announcement by the U.S. Coast Guard that it was concluding search and rescue efforts and convening a marine board of inquiry into the loss.
Much has already emerged concerning the loss.
It now appears possible that the Titan imploded Sunday, June 18, seemingly across the time that the Polar Prince misplaced contact with it 1 hour and 45 minutes after the submersible began its tried dive to the wreck of the Titanic with 5 individuals on board. The report of the lack of contact set off a large search and rescue effort, attracting broad media consideration that, in flip, raised numerous disturbing questions concerning the practices of its operator, OceanGate Expeditions, and its CEO, Stockton Rush.
Rush was amongst the five on board the Titan. The others had been Hamish Harding, the chairman of Action Aviation, a gross sales and air operations firm based mostly in Dubai; Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a veteran French diver and maritime professional who had been on greater than 35 dives to the Titanic wreck web site and was director of underwater analysis for RMS Titanic, Inc., an American firm that owns the salvage rights to the wreck; and British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son, Suleman, 19,
While the TSB says it should “conduct a safety investigation regarding the circumstances of this operation conducted by the Canadian-flagged vessel Polar Prince,” the RCMP’s inquiry is likely to be wider ranging.
Both the TSB and RCMP had been circumspect of their preliminary statements. TSB famous that there have been 17 crew members and 24 individuals on board the Canadian-flagged Polar Prince (together with the 5 who boarded the Titan) and that, “in accordance with the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act and worldwide agreements, the TSB, because the investigation authority of the flag state of the assist vessel concerned within the prevalence, will conduct a security investigation relating to the circumstances of this operation performed by the Canadian-flagged vessel Polar Prince.“
The Polar Prince is listed on the IMO knowledge base not as a analysis vessel however as a buoy tender. It was in-built 1959 and served because the CCGS Sir Humphrey Gilbert, a Canadian Coast Guard mild icebreaker, till 1986. Since then it has had numerous house owners and roles, with its present operator being Horizon Maritime Services, which additionally operates the Horizon Arctic, one of many ROV-equipped ships deployed on the Titan SAR operation.
“A team of TSB investigators is traveling to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, to gather information, conduct interviews, and assess the occurrence. In the coming days, we will coordinate our activities with other agencies involved,” stated the preliminary TSB assertion.
The RCMP, stated Saturday that it’s “inspecting the circumstances that led to the deaths of the 5 people who had been aboard the submersible Titan to find out if a full investigation is warranted.
“Such an investigation will proceed only if the RCMP’s examination of the circumstances indicate criminal, federal or provincial laws may possibly have been broken,” stated the assertion.
RCMP Newfoundland and Labrador Superintendent Kent Osmond says a staff has been shaped for a preliminary examine to find out if a full investigation is warranted, or if any legal guidelines have been damaged. No timeline has been set for the preliminary inspection.
Osmond says this case is a novel circumstance due not solely to the character of the incident, however the variety of jurisdictions concerned.
Osmond notes that such a evaluate doesn’t essentially imply something legal has occurred, including that “such investigations are common, as the RCMP has jurisdiction to investigation offshore deaths.”
USCG MARINE BOARD OF INQUIRY
A marine board of inquiry (MBI) is the very best degree of investigation within the Coast Guard. Upon completion of the investigation, the board will concern a report back to the Commandant with the proof collected, the info established, its conclusions, and suggestions.
The Coast Guard says the MBI is working in shut coordination with different nationwide and worldwide authorities together with the United States National Transportation Safety Board, Canadian Transportation Safety Board, French Marine Casualties Investigation Board, and United Kingdom Marine Accident Investigation Branch.
During the course of the MBI, the board will work to find out:
- The reason for the casualty, together with the reason for any demise.
- Whether an act of misconduct, incompetence, negligence, unskillfulness, or willful violation of legislation dedicated by any particular person licensed, certificated, or documented has contributed to the reason for the casualty, or to a demise concerned within the casualty, in order that acceptable remedial motion could also be taken.
- Whether an act of misconduct, incompetence, negligence, unskillfulness, or willful violation of legislation dedicated by any particular person, together with an officer, worker, or member of the Coast Guard, contributed to the reason for the casualty, or to a demise concerned within the casualty.
- Whether there’s proof that an act subjecting the offender to a civil penalty below that legal guidelines of the United States has been dedicated, in order that acceptable motion could also be undertaken to gather a penalty.
- Whether there’s proof {that a} legal act below the legal guidelines of the United States has been dedicated, in order that the matter could also be referred to acceptable authorities for prosecution.
- Whether there’s want for brand new legal guidelines or rules, or modification or repeal of current legal guidelines or rules, to stop the recurrence of the casualty.
