A daredevil who explored the Titanic wreck on the now-missing sub said it was a 'suicide mission' he was 'incredibly lucky' to survive
German adventurer Arthur Loibl, 60, said he was "incredibly lucky" to survive his August 2021 trip aboard OceanGate Expeditions' Titan submersible.
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- A man who previously took a trip on the now-missing Titan sub called it "a suicide mission."
- Arthur Loibl said that he was "incredibly lucky" to survive the trip to the Titanic shipwreck.
- He said his August 2021 trip was plagued by delays and electrical issues.
This is a translated version of an article that originally appeared on June 21, 2023.
A daredevil who travelled to the wreck of the Titanic on the now-missing tourist submersible said called it a "suicide mission" that was plagued by delays and electrical issues.
Arthur Loibl, 60, said he was "incredibly lucky" to survive his August 2021 trip aboard OceanGate Expeditions' Titan sub, during which he was accompanied by French explorer Paul-Henry Nargeolet and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush on his trek 12,500 feet underwater to see the wreckage of the iconic passenger liner.
Nargeolet and Rush are two of five people who were aboard the 21-foot Titan sub when it went missing and lost communication with its mothership as it headed to the Titanic wreck on Sunday.
Loibl, who is German, said that he was hoping for a miracle as search-and-rescue crews frantically race against time to locate the Titan vessel as its oxygen supply dwindles.
"I feel bad, I'm nervous, I have a sinking feeling in my stomach. I was incredibly lucky back then," Loibl said. "It was a suicide mission back then!"
Loibl added that his journey on the Titan — which he paid about $110,000 for — got off to a rocky start.
"The first submarine didn't work, then a dive at 1,600 meters had to be abandoned," Loibl recalled. "My mission was the fifth, but we also went into the water five hours late due to electrical problems."
He said that he suspected electrical problems could be responsible for whatever may have happened to the Titan on its latest dive.
Shortly before his dive, Loibl said that the bracket of a stabilizing tube broke off the vessel and had to be reattached with zip ties.
The conditions on board the vessel were far more troubling, he said, adding: "You need strong nerves, you mustn't be claustrophobic and you have to be able to sit cross-legged for 10 hours."