Passengers' harrowing ordeal as Titan submersible spins out of control prior to the tragic dive

In a harrowing incident during a previous dive, a former pilot of the ill-fated Titan submersible lost control of the vessel, resulting in hours of terror for the passengers on board.

The incident, captured in footage from a 2022 BBC documentary, showed the submersible spinning uncontrollably as it descended to a depth of 12,500 feet below sea level.

Pilot Scott Griffith can be heard expressing concern as the thrusters malfunctioned, stating, "We have a problem."

The crew, only 300 meters away from the ruins of the Titanic, found themselves unable to move forward as one of the Titan's thrusters had been mounted improperly. This caused the submersible to spin in circles, with one thruster pushing in one direction while the other pushed in the opposite direction.

“There’s something wrong with my thrusters. I’m thrusting and nothing is happening,” Griffith shared, according to the Mirror.

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Terrified crew members were left waiting for hours while OceanGate's CEO, Stockton Rush, worked from the mother ship to rectify the issue.

Passenger Reneta Rojas recounted her fear, saying, "We're literally 300m from the Titanic, and although we are already in the debris field, we can't go anywhere but go in circles."

The crew struggled to reprogram the control system that managed the submersible's movement, with Rojas anxiously putting her head in her hands.

After hours of uncertainty, the crew managed to resolve the issue and proceeded with the dive.

Rojas expressed their relief, stating, "We started clapping inside the submersible and saying 'Yes we can go.'"

Despite the terrifying ordeal, the crew was able to safely witness the wreckage of the Titanic during the same dive.

Passenger Oisin Fanning shared his thoughts to the Daily Mail. saying, "I was thinking, oh no, don't tell me that we are 300m away from the Titanic and we are going to have to go up to the surface."

Prior to the dive, the crew had been warned about the experimental and dangerous nature of the submersible. The documentary's videographer, Jaden Pan, described the moment when the dome closed, trapping them inside.

Pan admitted feeling a sense of unease, stating, "The dome slowly closes in front of me. I have this moment of 'this is the point of no return.' I’m not claustrophobic by any means but at that moment I was like if there was any point to freak out, now would be the point to freak out."

OceanGate's CEO, Stockton Rush, dismissed concerns about the thruster malfunction, claiming, “almost every deep-sea sub makes noise at some point.”

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But, in a separate interview, Rush acknowledged breaking some rules during the creation of the submersible. His decisions and apparent disregard for safety concerns drew intense criticism, as experts had cautioned him prior to the final dive.

Tragically, during a subsequent voyage on June 18, the Titan submersible imploded, claiming the lives of Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, famed Titanic explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his son Sulaiman Dawood.

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