US billionaire plans submersible trip to Titanic wreck

A US luxury real estate billionaire and a deep-sea explorer are planning to travel in a submersible to explore the Titanic.Ohio tycoon and adventurer Larry Connor and Patrick Lahey, co-founder of Triton Submarines, say they want to take a sub to a depth of around 3,800m (12,467ft) to see the shipwreck in the North Atlantic Ocean.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.A spokesman for Mr Connor’s company said on Tuesday that the proposed voyage would only take place once a vessel was fully certified by a marine organisation.There is no timeframe for the planned expedition.The pair plan to use a sub dubbed the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer – the “4000” refers to the depth in metres to which the craft can safely be deployed.The Titan submarine built by OceanGate was constructed of carbon fibre and was only certified to 1,300m, far short of the depths of the ocean floor where the Titanic wreck lay.The private submersible industry suffered after the Titan disaster, and the pair hope that a successful voyage will reignite interest.