"'Death' Mentioned 3 Times Only on the First Page of Documents"…Clause Requiring Signature Found in Missing Submarine Case

"May Cause Death or Total Paralysis" Warning Included
Submersibles Not Approved or Passed Inspection

The operator of the submersible 'Titan,' which went missing while on a tour to see the wreckage of the 'Titanic,' reportedly had passengers sign a waiver stating that they would not be held responsible in the event of death.

On the 21st (local time), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) cited Mike Reiss (63), a writer and producer of the animated series 'The Simpsons,' reporting that "the word 'death' appeared three times on the first page of the signed waiver." Reiss had taken the 'Titan' to tour the Titanic wreckage in July last year.

Titanic exploration submersible 'Titan'. [Image source=OceanGate Expeditions]

Additionally, David Pogue, a reporter for the American CBS network, is also said to have boarded the submersible in July last year for coverage. Pogue stated, "I signed a memorandum that included the possibility of physical injury, disability, mental trauma, and death when boarding the submersible." Notably, the waiver he signed also stated that "this submersible is a prototype and has not been approved or inspected by any official organization."

Reporter Pogue said, "The waiver detailed eight different ways in which death or total disability could occur," but added, "Up until the time I boarded last year, there had been no deaths or even a single injury among OceanGate submersible passengers."

The missing Titan had descended to the deep sea to view the Titanic wreckage located 4,000 meters below the North Atlantic Ocean on the 18th. The submersible carried five passengers, including British billionaire Hamish Harding.

Meanwhile, a multinational search team looking for the Titan detected 'underwater noise' for two consecutive days. Colonel Jamie Fredrick of the Coast Guard announced that the Canadian P-3 maritime patrol aircraft detected underwater noise in the search area on both the 20th and 21st. Colonel Fredrick added that the search is focused around the area where the underwater noise was detected for two consecutive days.

However, it remains uncertain whether the underwater noise originated from the submersible. The search team is analyzing the recorded underwater noise with experts to determine if it came from the missing submersible.

In a briefing, Colonel Fredrick stated, "The current mission of the search team is 100% rescue operations." Regarding the end point of the rescue efforts, he said, "There are times when difficult decisions must be made, but that time has not come yet," and added, "We must hold onto hope."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.