Billionaire plans to voyage to Titanic site 1 year after OceanGate accident
Less than a year after five people died aboard the OceanGate "Titan" submersible, Triton Submarines CEO Patrick Lahey and entrepreneur Larry Connor are planning their own deep sea expedition.
It was the search and recovery mission that captivated the world.
All five people onboard the OceanGate Titan submersible lost their lives last year while journeying to the infamous wreck.
SEE ALSO | Suburban man took trip to Titanic wreckage on OceanGate's Titan submersible with CEO Stockton Rush
Now, less than a year later, Lahey and Connor want another shot. Connor spoke with Good Morning America's Will Reeve about their plans.
"Almost three quarters of the earth is covered in water. Isn't doing research important and worthwhile, given that fact?" Connor said.
When asked what the purpose of the planned dive is, Connor said, "To demonstrate safety. If you look at submersibles that have been DNV certified, there's never been an accident. The OceanGate vessel was not certified and never would have been."
READ MORE | Engineer says OceanGate CEO ignored warnings against use of carbon fiber for sub
OceanGate could not be reached for comment.
Connor says he and Lahey are designing a new, safer and certified submersible, known as the Explorer, which will cost $13 million to $15 million. It will carry two people, have an acrylic hull and offer a near-panoramic view.
Five years ago, Reeve went to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in a submersible similar to the one Connor and Lahey plan to build.
SEE ALSO | 'Extreme danger': Ex OceanGate employee alleges firing for raising concerns over missing Titanic sub
When asked how confident he is that this will work, Connor said, "I am very confident, but the moment we don't meet one standard, the project is done. We will not compromise safety. I will not go any place or do any dives, if I'm not 100% convinced that the submersible is safe."
Deep sea exploration carries inherent risk.
"I don't think technology like deep sea submersibles should be abandoned for a single accident. If you think about the early days of space travel we lost an entire crew. But that tells us what we've done wrong in the past and how to get it right in the future," said ABC News contributor and Physicist Hakeem Oluseyi.
READ MORE | Stuck in the propeller of Titanic: Fmr. ABC News science editor recalls submersible trip to wreckage
