1st Titanic Voyage in 14 Years is Happening in Wake of Submersible Tragedy. Hopes Are High

The company that owns the salvage rights to the Titanic is undertaking its first expedition to the ship's wreckage in years, and those involved in the mission said they have both heavy hearts and lofty goals for a trip happening a year after a submersible disaster involving another firm killed five people.
RMS Titanic Inc., a Georgia-based firm, holds the legal rights to salvage the wreck of the ship, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912. The company's first expedition to the site since 2010 launched Friday from Providence, Rhode Island, The Associated Press reported.
The voyage arrives as the worldwide community of undersea explorers is still reeling from the deadly implosion of an experimental submersible en route to the Titanic in June 2023. The Titan submersible disaster killed all five people on board, including Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who was director of underwater research for RMS Titanic.
This summer's mission to the Titanic “means even more with the passing” of Nargeolet, known as “Mr. Titanic” by many, RMST Inc. president Jessica Sanders said.
The expedition will use modern imaging technology and remotely operated vehicles to capture detailed images of the Titanic, the wreckage site and the debris field, RMST Inc. representatives said.
“This monumental undertaking will allow us to document the Titanic in unprecedented detail and share new discoveries from the wreck site with the public, continuing the extraordinary work and passion of PH," Sanders said.
The ship headed to the site, the Dino Chouest, will take several days to reach the site and is slated to return around Aug. 13, said Jon Hammond, a spokesperson for RMST Inc.
The work will allow the company to provide a comprehensive analysis of the current condition of the Titanic wreckage site and a detailed assessment of artifacts that can be safely targeted for future recovery, RMST Inc. representatives said.
Nargeolet made more than 35 dives to the Titanic in his lifetime. The implosion also killed Titan operator Stockton Rush; two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood; and British adventurer Hamish Harding.
OceanGate, a company co-founded by Rush that owned the submersible, suspended operations a year ago. The US Coast Guard convened a high-level investigation into what happened, but it has taken longer than expected and it's unclear when the investigation will conclude.
Undersea explorers are waiting to learn the results of the investigation and RMST Inc.'s trip to the Titanic site is an important milestone in the site's exploration, said Katy Croff Bell, founder of the Ocean Discovery League.
“The Coast Guard investigation is still ongoing and they have not released their results yet, so the final chapter in this episode has yet to come out,” Bell said. “One thing that has come out is there is perhaps more interest.”
This month's journey to the Titanic also will allow comparison to 2010 imaging, RMST Inc. representatives said. The mission also may result in discovery of new areas of the debris field, previously unknown marine life and new areas of deterioration that could provide unobstructed access to the interior of the ship, the company stated on its website.
The vessel making the trip is equipped with two remotely operated vehicles that will be used to capture the first end-to-end mapping image of the wreck field and debris site, RMST Inc. said.
The expedition will include "the highest resolution camera systems ever deployed at the site in an effort to bring new insights about the ship to the community,” said Evan Kovacs, an underwater cinematographer working on the mission.

A forest fire in Türkiye's western coastal province of Izmir, fanned by strong winds, is near residential areas, forcing some people to be evacuated, the local governor said on Friday, as firefighters also tried to contain other wildfires in the north.

The fire in Izmir started late on Thursday in the Karsiyaka district for unknown reasons, as firefighters already worked to contain three separate fires in northwestern Türkiye.

Izmir Governor Suleyman Elban said the fire in Karsiyaka continued in between four and five different areas despite efforts to contain it using planes, helicopters, and other vehicles, adding that a village had been evacuated, Reuters reported.

"The intervention is becoming difficult as it is very close to residential areas. There is no loss of life until now," Elban said. "We have information that some houses burned. Since there are winds of up to 80 kilometers (49.71 miles) per hour now, we often have to stop the aerial intervention," he said, adding efforts would intensify if winds eased.

Footage on local broadcasters showed flames engulfing tracts of land, approaching apartment buildings and roads in Karsiyaka, with black smoke billowing above forests and the city.

The fires in northwestern Türkiye are in the Eceabat district of Canakkale province, the Goynuk district of Bolu province, and in Manisa province's Gordes district.

Earlier on Friday, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said the fire in Canakkale - sparked by a roadside electricity pole - had been contained and the Manisa blaze was partially contained. Efforts continued to douse the fire in Bolu.

He warned of a high risk of wildfires in the next three days due to high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds.

The governors of Canakkale and Bolu provinces said several neighbourhoods or villages had been evacuated as a precaution, but that there was no immediate threat to residential areas.

Türkiye's coastal regions in particular have in recent years been ravaged by wildfires, as summers have become hotter and drier, which scientists relate to climate change.

1st Titanic Voyage in 14 Years is Happening in Wake of Submersible Tragedy. Hopes Are High