, killing all five people aboard. But unlike most viewers, the Ohio billionaire was moved to take the unlikeliest of actions: Having already journeyed into the Mariana Trench, the world’s deepest location, Connor decided to commission his own submersible and visit the remains of the famed ship himself. As he explained toin May, “I’m concerned that people associate diving subs, especially new or different subs, with danger or tragedy.” “We’re not thrill-seekers.
“Sales fell off a cliff” after the OceanGate incident, says Patrick Lahey, CEO of Triton, who reportedly plans to join Connor on his dive to the. Now, though, he says that “people are reengaging, doing their research, and we’re starting to see them come back.” became a cautionary tale for prospective buyers, Lahey has had his work cut out for him.
“In the past three years, we’ve seen more interest in developing and deploying low-cost underwater devices,” says Dr. Katy Croff Bell, president of the, referring to both unpiloted and piloted vessels—and that demand is about much more than just recreation.