Titanic expert Bob Ballard reacts to 'catastrophic implosion' of missing submersible

Ballard, who discovered the Titanic wreck in 1985, weighs in on the Titanic sub implosion that killed all five people on board, including the CEO of OceanGate.
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[@johnandrews3568]

Dr. Ballard is THE man. When my daughter was 8 she became enthralled with Titanic. She read a load of books, watched videos, we built a model, I got her a piece of genuine Titanic coal.... so I wrote an email to Bob Ballard explaining how this wreck has touched my daughter and how she wanted to be an explorer like him... He wrote her a beautiful letter back, included a picture, autographed and sound advice on how to pursue a career like his. Totally awesome man.

[@hellomew]

that is so kind. he an absolutely brilliant and humble man. i hope the best for your daughters adventures!

[@BurrWolf]

A wonderful story! When I was 12 I attended his seminar at Newport, RI right after the Titanic's discovery. I remember his story of the coffee cup found on the boiler in the debris field and other adventures. It inspired me to become a SCUBA Diver, and a decade later I got my Advanced Diving cert while diving wreck diving off FL.

[@taylord7261]

Well… is she an explorer now?

[@vondahartsock-oneil3343]

Do you know the song about Titanic? Not from the Hollywood Movie. We sang it in Vacation Bible School. Yikes. I've looked the lyrics up online before, so I know they are easy to find, this is the lyrics I recall and typed into google/duckduckgo "It was sad when the great ship went down, to the bottom of the sea. Husbands and wives, little children lost their lives...." that's about it. Hey it wasn't my church, I was only visiting. IDK if they sang that song in Sunday School also, but somehow, doesn't seem like a song to sing at church. It is however, a childrens song. Even way back in the 70s. IDK when it was wrote. That's just when I learned it.

[@breezywarhead8489]

@@vondahartsock-oneil3343 it not bible song. Its a folk song written during world war 1 in 1915 to 1916 and sang in 1920s. The song is called The Titanic. You can find it by Pete Seger. Its really catchy song

[@mancinp]

I think he hit the right balance of empathy and realism. One of my childhood heroes.

[@scottmoore1614]

Robert Ballard is a legend. The man who found the Titanic almost 40 years ago. One of my heroes.

[@marlamumgaard677]

Robert Ballard was my son's first real hero. At age 6 he was totally into reading and learning about the Titanic. We read Ballard's book, watched the movie, "A Night to Remember," and built a replica model. 33 years later, my son is a scientist studying plasma physics.

[@epstone]

I was exactly the same as your son. I read everything i could about the titanic and admired Rob Ballard a lot! I didnt quite end up in the STEM field as him but my interest in science and history has remained ;)

[@melmckane2913]

That's a lovely story❤

[@JohnHorak]

Same here. I wrote him a letter when I was probably 6 years old and got a response. He was always a household name.

[@udayreddy6795]

He is a liar that is spreading the "Climate Change" bull sh** He is a traitor to real patriots

[@jonathanyoung9369]

Something's fishy about your story ...

[@paulwoodford1984]

Robert Ballard is a legend. He knows what he’s talking about

[@user-io8bm6gz5z]

how does Dr Ballard feel about his friend not wanting to hire "old white men" and instead hiring a bunch of kids with no experience but with the right skin color and genitals? Cause thats's what's most important when designing a deep sea vessel.

[@dmejia093]

@@user-io8bm6gz5zlol what ?

[@728yamaha]

@user-io8bm6gz5z how does Dr. Ballard feel about the "50 year old white guys" comment????? He feels STILL ALIVE, that's how!!

[@samscarletta7433]

That reply: Solid Gold!🤣💥🔥

[@abrahamdozer6273]

@@miraak8523 Try: "metal".

[@CanadianClub]

As a kid, Jacques Cousteau was my underwater hero. As an adult and the discovery of the Titanic, Dr. Ballard took his place. He delivered a frank and sincere description of what likely happened.

[@GoatGodBaal]

Yeah Ballard and Cousteau are fundamental to sea exploration, as is James Cameron. Those three have done us such a service for science and understanding the oceans

[@petiteetoile8376]

Bob Ballard is an absolute legend. Not only did he help discover the Titanic, he also discovered an entirely new ecological environment surrounding submarine volcanoes (which I believe he considered his greatest accomplishments)

[@TheAndroidNextDoor]

I'm glad to know Dr. Ballard is still doing what he does best, even at 80 years old.

[@jovesheerwater]

Why is it such a big deal that he's 80? You think everybody who's 80 is a shambling wreck with a mush brain? This happens mostly to alcoholic pill-popping TV watchers who obey all the rules. He's doing what he's always done - focusing his mind on something he loves.

[@ShugerPlum0263]

That's what experience and expertise looks like despite his age. Interesting commentary. Thank you Sir.

[@Sonofspam64]

He's a woke clown! Calling for regulations to prevent disasters. What an idiot! #MAGA

[@salland12]

Dr Ballard once again nails it.

[@timwright4263]

I still think of him as a youthful explorer.

[@evilfingers4302]

Bob Ballard is also the Explorer that discovered the German Battleship Bismarck in 1989 which the battleship is 3,000 feet deeper than the Titanic.

[@Brasswatchman]

He's been a huge figure in underwater archaeology for decades.

[@Anninukichild]

Oh damn...thx for that. Nice to actually learn something from comment section

[@scooter29]

And found the subs

[@zekehayward7643]

I wish they would revisit the Bismarck again and make a new video of it.

[@scl9671]

He has found many many ships and vessels. He discovered ofc Titanic and as you say Bismarck. He also discovered USS Yorktown and PT-109 which was JFKs ship in WW2.

[@PaulMcCannWebBuilder]

Dr. Ballard has a story about how he was in a submersible, exploring volcanic vents and everyone inside was looking at the camera feed on a screen, rather than out the tiny porthole. He decided to invest in ROVs and now they can go to 4000 meters with a 4k camera, sampling systems and serious lighting and like he says here - for days at a time, with no risk to lives. And stream live on youtube. When the ROVs became detached from the tether last year, they had the luck of another exploration ship nearby to help, but recovered the vehicles, without worrying about saving lives, just equipment.

[@onthefive5615]

Bob Ballard has been my oceanic hero since the 1960s. So much of what we know about currents, temperature and sealife at depth are thanks to his inquisitive nature and dedication to understanding our birthplace, the sea. His objective input on Titan's situation is most welcome.

[@michaelrmurphy2734]

Well mine was his colleague Jacques Cousteau! Who invented the Aqua-Lung!

[@deborahpaulin1188]

He WAS the mission that discovered the Titanic! His vision, his inventions.. his scientific knowledge and expertise. He deserves more credit than being "part of a team." (Offered lovingly, David. The eminent researcher, scientists and explorer developed Argo, the first underwater camera of its kind that actually FOUND the Titanic. Also, a very humble man.

[@auntiem873]

Ballard wouldn’t think so. He knows he is nothing without the others. Everyone contributed to the find. Because of the team he put together he understands a lot more about our oceans however he would have only learned about it by working with the others. He knows this.

[@thegoodsisjas]

Exactly!

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

You guys know they found the Titanic while actually on a mission to recover a downed Soviet submarine? The story of finding the Titanic made for the best possible cover story for a deeply classified mission.

[@sumpyman]

⁠Ballard and his team went out to find and explore a wreck of a US submarine and to map the environmental consequences of the decay of the nuclear reactor. The team said the mission was to find the Titanic as a cover story so that the Russians wouldn’t send out one of their “fishing trawlers” to shadow the operation and give them the location. They found it early and used the rest of the US Navy’s budget for the op to try to find the Titanic. And they found that too! There is Russian submarine wreck in that general area as well.

[@tjfSIM]

I think Bob would definitely say it was a team effort.

[@ErynRenee]

I've been waiting to hear from Ballard all week. The man is a legend, and I could listen to him for hours.

[@hendersongalbreath1072]

Dr. Ballard has lived one of the most incredible lives of any human being to ever walk this planet. He quite literally changed the way we view life on this planet, he sweet-talked the CIA into letting him discover RMS Titanic. An absolute living legend who deserves the respect of mankind.

[@TheCandiceWang]

How many dives did it take him to discover?

[@themapoe]

Yes and no. The government wanted to find the Thresher and the Scorpion but they didn't want the Soviets to know that's what they were doing so they used the Titanic as the cover story for the entire mission.

[@MoggingOnAPrayer]

Bob amazes me with how sharp and articulate he is for being 80 years old

[@MachineGunPepe]

That's what happens when you stay healthy. You can see he's not overweight and probably keeps fit.

[@MoggingOnAPrayer]

@@MachineGunPepeit’s also superior genetics

[@HumanHamCube]

Same age as Biden huh.....

[@MemeSource.]

​@@MoggingOnAPrayerSuperior Genetics?

[@rickm8456]

@@HumanHamCubeTrump too huh?

[@tomc.7520]

Dr. Ballard never wanted the Titanic wreck to become a tourist site. He always said it was a mass grave site and should be respected as such. He was right.

[@maryhlad7501]

I always thought of the Titanic wreck as hallowed ground because of all the passengers and crew who died aboard her.

[@hankheel9944]

He says in this video that so long as it's done responsibly and respectfully and nothing is taken from the wreckage he has no problem with it, he's right about /that/.

[@thedon9670]

He just literally said he was never against the idea of people visiting the Titanic /smh

[@innismor11]

Yeah ...... and USA has their President (Trump) signing The Bible for his cult members.

[@deborl7278]

It's ok to go see it. Don't take from it. It would be hard to get anything without the help of special tools. It all comes down to respect.

[@seraph5765]

I have so much respect for Professor Ballard. He clearly has so much knowledge of and respect for our oceans. In sixth grade, I read several books of his about the Titanic and and his teams discovery of the wreckage. When the touring exhibit came through I got to see it at the Houston Museum of Natural Science and even met a Titanic survivor.

[@joenader91]

As an engineer, this was the first thought that came to my mind on Monday as soon as details of "immediately stopped contact" were released. Very sad and the only good thing out of this is it would have happened in an immediate split second without any warning.

[@TheRolvaag]

Bob is essentially saying that they did something horribly wrong with this sub's design for this to even happen

[@tonycook7679]

Not really, the design was perfect for use at lesser depths. The problem was the owner's wish to push it way past where it was reasonable to expect.

[@theresanolan1157]

@@tonycook7679 So..there was something inherently wrong with the design for those depths..............

[@dreamybull1509]

​@@theresanolan1157care to specify exactly what was wrong? or are you going to keep vomiting the same generic information we've all heard 100 times?

[@abram730]

It was rated for a max of 6,000 PSI, and max gives you the crush depth. They were bring it to its crush depth as a business plan. It hasn't happened before, because nobody was crazy/stupid enough to do that. Then not inspecting the hull after taking to crush depth..

[@Amfibios]

@@dreamybull1509 if you check, you'll see that the plexiglass window was bending from the weight when they were going so deep... yeah that sounds very safe to me.

[@susancoddington6393]

What an eloquent man Dr Ballard is

[@mg725]

He's the best, been one of my heroes for years

[@user-io8bm6gz5z]

how does Dr Ballard feel about his friend not wanting to hire "old white men" and instead hiring a bunch of kids with no experience but with the right skin color and genitals? Cause thats's what's most important when designing a deep sea vessel.

[@robertfisher4689]

Speaking normally is not eloquence..

[@tiswhatitis137]

​@@lamalas932were they illegally doing so or not?

[@LASTCARonBROCK]

Very true. It's one level of intelligence to understand a topic with authority. It's quite another to be able to share that knowledge with others in a way that it can be understood and used. I've always respected Dr. Ballard for that since reading his books as a kid.

[@nicholasmarzigliano7616]

Kudos to ABC news. I was waiting to hear from this remarkable man who actually found the ship after 73 yrs and not a Movie Director.

[@user-cz4tk2vr9i]

James Cameron sums it up perfectly; "I am shocked by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, were the captain was repeatedly warned and the warnings went unheeded and for a very similar tragedy to take place at the same exact site"

[@susangavaghan]

The ability of the tourist sub’s hull design to withstand such depths was questioned in a 2018 lawsuit filed by OceanGate’s former director of marine operations, David Lochridge, who said he was fired after he raised safety concerns about the vessel. The same happened when Alexander Carlysle, a designer at Harland and Wolf, raised concerns about the inadequate number of lifeboats on Titanic. His concerns were ignored and he resigned. I read that their means of communication was a play station. I don't think that naming this submersible Titan was a very good idea - it is 2 letters short of the name Titanic. In an interview Stockton Rush said that the Titan was pretty much invulnerable; the interviewer replied that this was pretty much the same thing they said about Titanic. Stockton Rush replied with a yes. How prophetic. If Mr. Rush had himself not died then he would have had a lot to answer for. It seems that history has repeated itself - these people put money before safety and chose to ignore the advice of knowledgeable people.

[@patriciasmith5083]

It was not named the Titan in the beginning. It was named the Cyclops 2 but because of the lawsuit that was filed over Lockhart being fired after bringing up safety concerned it was then changed to the Titan. This is common to change names during suits.

[@Geeksmithing]

Means of communication was a PlayStation?! What does that even mean? Is technology a struggle for you?

[@ddivincenzo1194]

I really don't believe in prophesy, but I will state that NOTHING manmade is invulnerable.

[@asquare9316]

They used a game controller as the control input for the Titan.

[@Former11BRAVO]

Stockton also refused to hire "white 50 year old men" as engineers on the project, choosing instead to hire kids right out of college because they're "inspirational".

[@comment3711]

Robert Ballard is the man, he’s the one who found the Titanic!

[@ranelgallardo7031]

Yep. I just read his Wikipedia article recently. I heard now he is going to help find MH370 with the same way he did with the Titanic.

[@ashleythomas4112]

Found the Bismarck battleship as well.

[@jimw1615]

Yes, Titanic was found by Mr. Ballard using a towed underwater sled with cameras on board.

[@illuminati2341]

@@ranelgallardo7031 MH370 isnt in the ocean its in the US Base Diego Garcia

[@eamonreidy9534]

​@@ashleythomas4112and the USS Yorktown

[@josephrogers5337]

From 1968 to 1972 I worked on the simulator for the Bathyscaph Trieste II and went on the Scorpion operation as part of the support crew of the Trieste crew. Our technology for finding our location was one of the first GPS units. We could locate ourselves on the surface within 300 feet. Better location then ever before. I follow this tragedy with interest. Thanks for having Robert Ballard as he was at one-time on the Bathyscaph and another pioneering submersible the NR-1. I have always admired him. I have great pride in meeting the two pilots of the Marianas Trench dive, I know the mechanics of a dive better then the average American.

[@ajpisharodi]

What a true legend! I remember seeing Bob on TV regularly on commercials over 30 years ago. He was talking about the Alvin and encouraging Deepwater exploration and marine biology. So sad that it took a tragic incident to bring him back the attention of the world.

[@PercyPruneMHDOIFandBars]

Bob Ballard. What a legend! Thank goodness the interviewer had the manners to let him talk.

[@largol33t1]

Well, I admit that was a good reporter. He let him explain his view and asked the right questions and gave him time to respond professsionally.

[@Hope-Dasher]

Reporter introduces Dr Ballard like he’s some rando Woods Hole researcher, he Discovered Titanic,Bismarck, mapped the USS Thresher and USS Scorpion and PT 109 the man is the greatest ocean archaeologist ever

[@abrahamdozer6273]

He even discovered Neolithic settlements at the bottom of the Black Sea.

[@Hope-Dasher]

@@abrahamdozer6273 forgot all about that good pull by you

[@danwallach8826]

I was waiting for someone to talk with him. So far I know, he's the leading expert in the world on submersibles and undersea exploration.

[@KB-ke3fi]

Dallas boy. He's over 50 though.

[@sudokode]

Wow it's refreshing to hear an actual expert present facts and even correct someone on their own achievements with surprising humility. Protect this boomer at all cost.

[@paulhall170]

I had been wondering all though this sad saga why the world's expert, on both the Titanic and submersible vehicles in general, was not being consulted. Now we know; Bob Ballard knew these poor folks were dead five days ago. And he was gracious in his answer, but he had earlier said that the site, as a grave-site, should be left alone. We owe a great debt to Bob Ballard and the Woods Hole team, I salute you, sir!

[@julliastars]

The fact this has NEVER happened before is quite magnificent

[@Alphatr10n]

Not really. All other subs actually implemented and followed safety protocols. CEO of Oceangate said dam the safety protocols and went anyway in a deathtrap.

[@brizzle3903]

@@Alphatr10nI wonder when this will become a criminal prosecution

[@Alphatr10n]

@@brizzle3903 who they gonna prosecute? CEO who said "if you wanna stay safe stay in bed" was on the sub and is now liquid pink in the ocean.

[@feedyourhead434]

@@brizzle3903 lucky for the CEO he won't have to deal with it

[@lulzdragon7339]

@@brizzle3903 Dudes signed a waiver.

[@josephtalmadge3108]

So sad but imploding would've been the most humane thing. It's instant and painless. Rip.

[@wintermute7378]

Yeah, it would have been utterly painless

[@dab6923]

30 microseconds

[@ellachristina7730]

Sad but now they stand before the Lord.

[@Jen-ur4ut]

Except for the instant knowledge that you're about to die.

[@LK-bz9sk]

@@ellachristina7730by “but”. Is the Lord going to hurt or kill them again?

[@BigAl444]

Great seeing Mr. Ballard. He was very kind and avoided any speculation on the design and DIY or hardware store parts and the fact that nobody would certify the thing. I'd love to hear him speak to that.

[@nancyreid8729]

DOCTOR Ballard

[@whitedragoness23]

If it was never certified, then how was it allowed to take passengers and make money off it?

[@iamamused]

@@whitedragoness23 From what I understood, it was certified to a certain depth but the Titanic wreckage was well beyond that.

[@whitedragoness23]

@@iamamused so they being deceptive, if they were being deceptive about their use of their submersible. If they were then I’m wondering if the company had assured their clients it was perfectly safe and regulated. But I had seen a video of a news station interviewing them. Showing how they went to a local store to get supplies to make repairs. Apparently they used a video game controller to control the submersible. I doubt they had a back up in that one control fell on the ground and broke. It seemed very put together and even the cheapest supplies were used.

[@spongy_mothra]

​@@whitedragoness23 There are multiple certification programs for deep sea submersibles, but because deep sea tourist submersibles are so rare, certification is not a requirement (although from reports I've seen, the Titan was the only one of those few tourist submersibles that was not certified).

[@drunksquirrel2051]

Ballard was my childhood hero as a titanic fan back in the late 80's. Surreal to see him on national news again about Titanic

[@Pinkdiamond12]

Amazing, this man is still doing what he loves at 80 yrs old.

[@seren4740]

Finally an actual expert

[@bg9255]

I'm no rocket scientist but I do understand stress factors. This sub was used a LOT.

[@gpc0708]

Exactly, a sub is not like our vehicles where we just hop in and go to the store. They need to be properly maintained and inspected after each dive.

[@FrankBullitt390]

It was only used 2 or 3 times previously, the last ones that rode in it need to go buy a lottery ticket, the hull was likely fractured, hence the implosion only 2/3 way down this time.

[@watsonspuzzle]

Up and down repeatedly without the proper inspections.

[@masonmax1000]

100% its beyond me that the shell was never inspected for possible defects that could lead to an implosion after every dive... that would be like never doing a preflight check when flying and some dude at my home airport just died bc he didn't check the fuel in 3 flights.

[@user-io8bm6gz5z]

how does Dr Ballard feel about his friend not wanting to hire "old white men" and instead hiring a bunch of kids with no experience but with the right skin color and genitals? Cause thats's what's most important when designing a deep sea vessel.

[@podskalda]

Can you imagine a PS controller lying beside the mighty Titanic?

[@joelvanwinkle5976]

Ever since I was in 3rd grade, I’ve deeply admired this man work. I read dozens of book on the titanic and many documentaries. What this man did in 1985 is nothing short of incredible. Not only is he smart and innovative, he’s brave and resilient.

[@muttlee9195]

What’s interesting about the titanic just a ship that sank. Could you be one sided neurologically or obsessive?

[@joelvanwinkle5976]

@@muttlee9195 autistic

[@AL-fl4jk]

Multiple experts have said there was a big issue using a carbon fibre body with titanium caps at that pressure because they behave differently. But the CEO knew better…… to avoid regulations by launching in international waters. Pretty important lesson here.

[@deniseclaeys8295]

Tube-shaped hulled allowed for more passengers at $250k each.

[@user-io8bm6gz5z]

how does Dr Ballard feel about his friend not wanting to hire "old white men" and instead hiring a bunch of kids with no experience but with the right skin color and genitals? Cause thats's what's most important when designing a deep sea vessel.

[@abrahamdozer6273]

@@user-io8bm6gz5z Why would you peg any of that on Ballard? That is a racist statement.

[@dylanclay2741]

​@@abrahamdozer6273that word no longer has any sting because youall use it for literally everything now. If you had watched the clip of the ceo saying he didn't want experienced "old white men" working for him you'd understand

[@thedon9670]

@@user-io8bm6gz5z stop spamming this stupid comment everywhere...

[@RedJay]

Ballard is a treasure to hummanity. I appreciate they let the expert weigh in on this topic. Best wishes to the families of those who have passed.

[@lorraineniess116]

Robert Ballard... what a treasure he is!.....been a fan of his since 1985 when he and his people found the titanic.

[@lamajol]

As I said in a comment on a previous article, this was the best possible outcome at this point. They didn't suffer, but died in the literal blink of an eye. That's much better than sitting at the bottom of the ocean floor in the cold dark for days, hungry and losing hope as your oxygen depletes, cognizant the entire time that the end is looming. And for those who laugh at this or believe it somehow justified, please remember that these were people, including a 19 year old young man-barely a man-who had families, employees, friends, and loved ones who depended on them. Those people have had to witness so many cruel comments over the past few days. Have a heart. Be human. These were human beings.

[@janet-zk2kl]

Well said.

[@harsh3948]

No sympathy for the safety avoiding dumb CEO tho, he skipped the regulations and paid the price

[@user-vl8qw8hp1g]

​@@harsh3948I saw an interview with a subject matter expert who was asked about regulations for this type of vessel. His response was that there are no regulations for such vehicles. There is no regulatory entity to oversee the construction of this type of vessel. I'm sure that will change in the wake of this catastrophe.

[@ipodgolfer13]

I’ve been saying that as well. Man so tough.

[@kellyj3544]

@@user-vl8qw8hp1gStockton said in an interview the most dangerous part of the expedition was ,being on the mother ship and slipping and falling or something ridiculous.down playing the serious danger of this kind of trip ,to the ocean floor in his submersible 😬RIP to all of them

[@notachannel7495]

This guy is one of my heroes. I read and reread the National Geographic articles about Titanic as a child. Alvin was an astounding submarine with many, many fail-safes. Sadly, Titan was not.

[@neuralmute]

Yeah, when I heard about this, I checked up on Alvin's specs, and the difference between the two is so vast! Alvin's got so many redundant safety features, and has a solid titanium sphere encasing its crew compartment. THAT'S how a professional deep submersible is built!

[@ArkadiosTheodulus]

The Titan had many, many fail-safes as well. But the point the whole chorus of people criticizing the sub and CEO in this tragic incident seem to be missing, is that they were trying to democratize deep sea exploration and make it eventually accessible for nearly everyone. As the CEO said, if you want to avoid all risk, then never get out of bed. It was cost prohibitive to make a perfectly safe sub, but then this much cheaper version was created that successfully made dozens of dives. The people who signed up knew the risks and signed the waivers. You think air travel was always as safe as it is now? Lessons will be learned from this sub-disaster that will improve future dives, just as has happened throughout history with air travel and so many other areas where humans pushed their boundaries to expand what they could do. The scariest thought is not that people went deep diving in this experimental sub. No, the scary thought is if everybody thought like all the people criticizing this sub and never push boundaries or took any risks. Our world would look a lot more primitive if there were nobody like this CEO who took risks to try to expand human capabilities.

[@jaybleu6169]

@@ArkadiosTheodulus But with air travel, we didn't deliberately go backward. We did the best we could, and then applied the lessons learned to the next generation of aircraft. This CEO was warned repeatedly this his sub was unsafe and brushed off the warnings. What happened here was inevitable. It was just a question of when the thing would fail.

[@ArkadiosTheodulus]

@@jaybleu6169 "deliberately go backward"? They took dozens of successful dives as deep as the Titanic for a cost per passenger never before possible. That is not deliberately going backward. What they did and what so many people have done throughout history would not have been possible if all they cared about was perfect safety. People warn against doing things ALL THE TIME. And bold pioneers have proven them wrong throughout history, to move air travel and many other things forward for everybody to be able to benefit from. Just imagine throughout history how little would have been accomplished if those brave people had been warned and accepted that "you're deliberately moving backward because what you're doing is not safe enough!"

[@NFS_Challenger54]

Ballard doesn't look bad for his age. He's like 80 and doesn't look a day over at least 70. Unfortunately for him and James Cameron, they lost a close friend. Rest in peace, P.H Nargeolet and the 4 others onboard OceanGate submersible Titan.

[@kal1665]

the only real titanic expert that i trust.

[@boscoblack]

Dying in the ocean in 2023 after going to see a ship that sank and killed hundreds in 1912. Unreal.

[@user-gf3wn2ur6j]

Both crafts experimental with the brilliant idea to put tourist in them without a proper safety inspection first. Only difference was no violins 🎻 this time

[@user-gf3wn2ur6j]

@@Geeksmithing I'll never let go Jack! I'll never let go!......5 minutes later, goodbye Jack. wee wuh wuh wuh plop. Women 🙄

[@thelonewolf2929]

​@@GeeksmithingNot thousands, a thousand+. Thousands is implying 2000+

[@mzmo2251]

Yes and they were millionaires and didn't get second opinion

[@user-xy9pc7kt2e]

​@@user-gf3wn2ur6jI think she was meaning their love,and his memory, the memories they shared,their connection to one another..

[@KristiLEvans1]

That’s Bob Ballard?! He’ll be forever 42, to me. I barely recognize him. He sounds as sharp as he did 40 years ago.

[@mancunianinlondon]

Bob I watched your Titanic documentary in 1987'ish. Very emotional. I was only 16 at the time and it made me cry. Thank you Bob for your commitment, respect and contribution to exploration

[@ticesine6589]

Thats exactly what the employee that was fired from Oceangate said. His safety claim focused on the hull not being strong enough to withstand the pressure at 12,000 plus feet.

[@kieranmilton2276]

5 people lock themselves in an uncertified sub, then decide to go to depths military submarines wouldn’t dare to, it’s a sad loss but the ocean remains undefeated

[@JKSSubstandard]

To be fair. Military subs literally can't and likely never will be able to reach those depths. The forces on the hull are a factor of the size of the hull. The reason the subs going to these depths are so small is because any larger and the forces become too great. You can't build a combat capable sub small enough to resist the forces using today's technology.

[@magnetthep153]

How dare u be sooo insensitive man

[@lanavita6783]

the reason military submarines, can't go to that depth is bc there is no reason for them to do so, that's not their purpose. scientists went all the way to challenger deep and came back safely which is like 2.5x deeper than the titanic...

[@mariatheresavonhabsburg]

​@@magnetthep153 "Tells the truth" => "How dare you be soo insensitive man". The truth doesn't care about feelings. They were reckless, and they payed the price for it.

[@Sonofspam64]

I always go deep no matter the danger. Just ask my girlfriend!

[@shamelessvanity1415]

I just don’t understand how these highly successful and capable men took such a high risk low reward excursion. It’s mind boggling. I pray their families find peace.

[@davidl.7027]

To them the reward was worth the risk. Plenty of people climb everest and know very well, they might not make it off that mountain.

[@swampyfox8688]

1 word…. EGO Rich man’s version of playing with matches

[@gregorymoats4007]

Yes. You do not understand highly successful and capable men.

[@SaiRyan1]

To be according to the video this is the first time this has happened. Having known that would it really seem so risky?

[@RennieAsh]

It's gone down there multiple times. These rich people aren't necessarily knowledgeable on submarine diving and vessel construction though.

[@kevinvonderscher3971]

Bob was being kind because he new people who were on board . This submersible was an accident waiting to happen . They cut corners & ignored safety issues . Sad it takes an accident like this to finally force some regulatory action .

[@colegarcia7574]

Major respect to him for casually debunking the news reporter saying he'd been on over 150 dives.

[@Bounty_Hunter84]

Such a great man. I remember him on SeaQuest. Never realized who he was till years later. And he is still at Sea fair play to him. And condolences to the families of the lost people on board.

[@Cara-39]

SeaQuest was my favorite show in the 90s and I almost studied marine biology in college because of it. I was in high school when it aired and I'd like to watch it again to see if my feelings abt it have changed now that I'm 43

[@Bounty_Hunter84]

@@Cara-39 I am 38 so not far behind ya. :D But yea it inspired a lot of people.

[@aftersexhighfives]

The more I see about Rush the more I really hate the man. His own meglomania took 4 lives with him. 😢 What a terrible father's day trip for the father and son.

[@successfulperson3304]

Agreed

[@phillyphil1513]

yup, Rush was another "wanna-be" Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson type.

[@mg725]

Yeah it's fucked up, just another arrogant rich man with more arrogance and money than simple common sense. I don't admire him, he wasn't a hero, he wasn't an innovator. He was an ass.

[@dawidvanstraaten]

Cut the corners and didn't really care about safety

[@sweetluvgurl]

As much as I hate to say it, I wish he had been alone.

[@tracemiller9924]

121 years later, they are still going down with the Titanic. RIP.

[@sleeming88]

I'm so used to seeing Bob Ballard as a 40-50 year old in old Titanic documentaries. Seeing him now as an old man is such a shock.

[@STARBOYGODD]

my deepest condolences goes out to the families

[@Sonofspam64]

Whjat a "woke" thing to say! #MAGA

[@bigsnugga]

@ramessesiisetepenre2958 i smell the brokeness coming off this comment

[@creaky7777]

@ramessesiisetepenre2958 jealous moron

[@dylanclay2741]

​@@bigsnugga well he had enough common sense to not commit suicide on a death trap

[@harsh3948]

@@bigsnugga I smell a lack of iq from this one

[@janeeyre5909]

Love that he mentioned the danger of driving I95.

[@SoulDelSol]

I took it home yesterday and today and both days it was backed up with accidents

[@janeeyre5909]

@@SoulDelSol glad you made it!

[@orion7763]

In other sub implosion incidents (not submersibles, like the Titan), the implosion takes place in about 0.1 seconds. It's so instantaneous that the body's nervous system doesn't even have time to register something happened.

[@johnbrown5565]

Have been waiting to hear from this guy. His experience is unmatched.

[@kermitTheFrog466]

it just shows how insane news networks are, claiming 150 dives instead of 12

[@csdstudio78]

any chance they get to "accidentally error" on facts to overdramatize or exaggerate... then retract later, or just ignore that it even happened. lol

[@donna7338]

The Titanic took lives over a hundred years ago and is still taking lives. Isn't it time to let her rest in peace?

[@Jodymillz]

Well said 🙏🏾💯

[@user-gf3wn2ur6j]

All the grave robbers should have been locked up. It's against the law right? Hmm 🤔

[@PaulG.x]

The Titanic is a ship. It has no responsibility for any lost lives. Humans are responsible for all the deaths.

[@gbb82]

@confederatenation9544😂😂😂

[@PlatinumPace]

@@PaulG.xI see what you’re trying to say but not quite. I think pushing mother nature to her limits takes lives

[@careercriticalthinker]

A deep-sea exploration god has spoken. Respect for Bob Ballard.

[@blackpanda7612]

When this man speaks, you listen. Bob is a legend.

[@axeltank06]

Always great to hear from the eminent oceanographer Dr. Ballard. Unfortunate that in a strange way, Titanic has claimed new victims. Despite sinking more than a century ago.

[@thedon9670]

Titanic hasn't claimed anything. It is a corroding ship sitting on the bottom of the ocean that's all.

[@SoulDelSol]

Well they named it Titan, basically same thing

[@Jungoguy]

The memorial count will need to be updated. 1522

[@hodgeelmwood8677]

I don't look at it that way myself. It was recklessness, ego, and selfishness that led to these five deaths. Stockton Rush, with all of his money, refused to spend what it would take to create a better, safer vehicle. This was totally avoidable.

[@axeltank06]

@@hodgeelmwood8677 Can't really argue with that. Profit above safety, smh.

[@luckyasmr1374]

Something I heard from someone years ago that I never forgot was, “never underestimate the power of water”.

[@cocoaorange1]

I second that.

[@ajplays7241]

and what i learned was never go on any ship or near any ship with the name "Titan" in it

[@451dskots88]

Bob Ballard has always been a hero to me since he found the Titanic in 1985.

[@robertwiles8106]

I got chosen to represent my region in a live via satellite school student Q&A with Bob Ballard who was underwater cruising around the Titanic site, right around the time he found it circa 1985. I was in the 6th grade. An unforgettable experience and honor.

[@jewelinvegas580]

111 years later, death is still tied to the Titanic. So sad, especially for the teenager.

[@oceanexploration]

As a professional oceanographer who has been at great depths, this strikes home. The finding of the Titanic is what inspired me to do what I do. Bob Ballard is an epic person, and in my opinion, a genius. I have a saying: "Never put anything into the ocean which you are not prepared to lose". My prayers and sympathy are with the families of those lost. A catastrophic implosion at those depths may be one of the quickest ways to meet God.

[@taiwaneil]

If there is a god, which is unlikely and not proven.

[@user-io8bm6gz5z]

how does Dr Ballard feel about his friend not wanting to hire "old white men" and instead hiring a bunch of kids with no experience but with the right skin color and genitals? Cause thats's what's most important when designing a deep sea vessel.

[@Cmunic8]

@@user-io8bm6gz5zwhere did you get this information? Surely you didn’t make it up 😂

[@vicvega3614]

@@Cmunic8 the ceo said it in interviews he didn't want 50 year old white men, and it was a 50 year old white man who told the ceo there was issues with the sub, he fired that white man

[@classiccasualgaming]

I have a question. Who made those signals for every 30 minutes interval if the vessel already imploded?

[@williamogilvie6909]

Very knowledgeable and respectful comments from Bob Ballard.

[@travisdelafuente1150]

Bob Ballard, James Cameron and the late Paul-Henri Nargeolet are the true experts of Titanic and even Paul-Henri knew the dangers but he died doing what knew best. My heart goes out to him and the four other victims including Sir Hamish Harding.

[@CClearly0]

Thank you for the clear and expert explanation of this tragedy. Much appreciated ..

[@jaydiggitydog3976]

I was part of a small crew that was filming Bob Ballard in Mystic CT on the morning of 911. It was fascinating to hear him tell some of the stories about his submarines that were on display there. Of course when we heard what was happening in NYC, the mood changed quite a bit. I’ll never forget that day.

[@luisamarquez4887]

My sincerest condolences to the families and friends involved. I hoped they would be rescued safely. RIP all onboard.

[@Jockito]

After listening to so many experts over the last couple days in the media - ex navy submariners, deep sea explorers including James Cameron, etc. and then you compare their sentiments to Stockton Rush, you can clearly notice a difference. The former all have a sense of humility, caution, respect for the power of the ocean, respect for safety regulations, etc. Stockton on the other hand has a sense of bravado, naivety, hubris, bullishness, a lack of gravitas for the seriousness of it all. He was caught up in his own grandiose commercial dream and it cost him and 4 others their lives.

[@kaiipop4762]

Really appreciate Dr Ballards perspective on this. Hopefully such a tragic event won’t occur again, and regulations will be tightened to prevent this from happening in the future :(

[@dewantoroo]

Oh didn't realize Bob is on Nautilus right now. That's why it took a while for him to made appearances and weigh in on the topic.

[@joellenjohnson4038]

LOVE BOB BALLARD ALWAYS PERFECT INFORMATION

[@phillipstephens3079]

Finally, something “NEWS” worthy out of ABC. Dr. Ballard is an excellent source of knowledge/ real experience and always spot on.

[@olivertaylor8788]

Now that man knows his stuff.thats a professional over 60..thank you..

[@deniseclaeys8295]

Shepherd actually said white men over 50 weren't inspirational enough for Oceangate. 80 year-old Bob Ballard says, "Hold my beer."

[@LP64000]

My absolute hero since 1985; Dr. Rob Ballard, an astonishing individual.

[@HelloWacko]

Never seen someone call a group of people idiots so professionally and boast about his accolades all in one breath but I’m here for it and glad he said something

[@ONI1013.]

The fact that both Ballard and Cameron has indicated that they’ve done hundreds of these deep sea dives, and there have been thousands of similar dives with ZERO tragedies since 1960s + that there’s a industry out there that have standardized regulations for deep submersible safety, really shows how reckless OceanGate CEO’s approach with this Titan design. So tragic.

[@raylittle8607]

I witnessed this craft being placed together and they glued the titanium ends onto the carbon fibre. I thought that was going to be bad and fatal

[@generalsaurkraut3227]

🧢

[@bambubombon]

how did it come about that u witnessed that phase of the construction of the vessel?? were u working for oceangate at the time??

[@TapShottas]

Glue? These mfs crazy. Redneck submarine! 😂😂😂

[@raylittle8607]

@@bambubombon I saw this being done on a film. I saw the gluing of the titanium end caps onto the pressure hull.

[@LK-bz9sk]

Sounds line McGyver or whatever that guys name is

[@reginaowens7754]

Safety was a big concern 😢

[@slomnim]

Not for this craft

[@lowserver2]

yeah not for this "intrepid" CEO.

[@stacysmith7092]

How on Earth could they allow a 19 year old child to agree to go down there when he doesn’t have the age or experience to realize the level of risk they’re taking??? They should require an age limit and a minimal amount of experience before they allow a person to agree to do this. Unbelievable how irresponsible this company and that boys father was. Absolutely naive at best and negligent at worst!

[@RennieAsh]

Who says the other guys would realise the risk too?

[@tyedup8884]

I mean if your going to complain about that at 19 I’m ready to see your protest on the military as well.

[@harsh3948]

All That money just blinded his father into a reckless ego driven trip that cost him everything

[@user-vl8qw8hp1g]

The 19 year old was with his father. I can't imagine how the mother/wife feels knowing what happened to them. My heart breaks for her and the other families.

[@ChessJourneyman]

Because he was a risk taker, an explorer, a scientist, a blablabillionaire bs. We are just peasants.

[@artgutierrez6568]

1 day of mourning before the family's lawyers get involved and sue the hell out of Oceangate.

[@DriverGuy23]

This man knows the difference between building your sub based on proven designs and materials vs building a sub in your garage with parts from Camping World, Best Buy & Home Depot.

[@DanHickeyGuy]

I was seated next to Ballard at a NatGeo dinner. Amazing man, and human being.

[@user-gf3wn2ur6j]

Awesome news. I sat beside the Easter bunny and Santa Claus at the 🐂 💩 convention. Nice people

[@rockitsurjon8629]

Media - Bob, we hear you have made 150 dives to the Titanic. Bob - No, I made 12 dives in person, not even 10 percent of the number you stated. Media - I wonder why no one trusts us.

[@jimmyispromo]

ABC News saying he made over 150 deep sea dives and had it on the screen is hilarious when it's really less than 50. But still a magnificent number.

[@neilouellette3004]

Dollar Store Submersible.

[@user-gf3wn2ur6j]

A toy sub in a bathtub for kids had better materials. So these people brilliantly decided to put tourist in it?

[@animalloverjulian8243]

Either the sub was never designed to go that deep in the first place, or it wasn’t properly maintained. After several dives, the pressure shell of the submersible may have developed metal fatigue from all the stress.

[@deniseclaeys8295]

The hull was made of carbon fiber, which is more brittle than metal.

[@_saifr]

Not heard a better analysis than this. This guys knows what he is talking about. I wish this company didn't cut costs but made the right sub with the right materials that had been tried and tested for years before. Why change something that doesn't need changing? Such a stupid way to die. I heard someone say this was the first sub mercible that imploded since they started using these in 1960s. That should tell you everything you should know.

[@petezereeeah]

Bob Ballard is one of the most abled and intelligent oeople I've seen. I'm an oldwr guy, and have seen Ballard interviews for decades. He is highly intelligent, and has the ability to solve immensely complex problems by experienced logical deduction. He's a rare bread. The Navy wanted him to find a downed sub. He said ok. Then he asked if he had extra time with resourses could he try to rind the Titanic. The Navy gave approval. Then Ballard found the Titanic....nuff said.

[@petezereeeah]

Ballard did this interview with James Cameron. Not once did Ballard inject himself into Cameron's nonsensical crap. Ballard wouldn't lower himself to a discourse with that sort.

[@GCJACK83]

Five years ago, Stockton Rush fired an engineer he had working to build his submersible when the engineer raised concerns that the viewport wasn't rated for the depth the submersible would be operating at. The operation area is 4,000 meters down. The viewport was rated for 1,000 meters. Aside from that, the rest of the submersible also suffered equally shoddy design and manufacturing because Mr. Rush chose to rush and play fast and loose with the safety regulations submersibles are required to be built to take into account for.

[@jesuswilljudge7296]

He gaslighted the employee

[@wildgoose419]

Isn't it ironic his name is Rush?

[@jesussavemetoday975]

@@jesuswilljudge7296 and sued the fired employee! Who is counter-suing the company.