Michiana former submariner reacts to OceanGate Titan tragedy

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Many may be imagining what it might have been like to be one of the five trapped in the OceanGate Titan submersible, thousands of feet into the ocean. 

 The only people that could somewhat relate are those that have actually been in a submarine. 

 “Once you start getting deep enough into the ocean, the ocean just wants to kill you,” says Thomas Chabot, a former submariner for the U.S. Navy. 

 If anyone in Michiana knows what it’s like to be in the depths of the ocean, it’s Chabot, a former submariner for the Navy and retired Petty Officer 2nd Class aboard the U.S.S. Indiana. 

 “I got to do things that just about no one else in the world does,” Chabot admits. 

 The worldwide news of the missing Titan submersible, now a tragedy, with the US Coast Guard confirming Thursday the five passengers onboard are presumed dead, hits differently for Chabot.  

 “It brings back some memories, but it’s something I really hope they learn from,” Chabot says. “A waiver isn’t enough.” 

 His number one concern was the lack of certification for the submersible.   

 A statement made by OceanGate C.E.O. Stockton Rush, and one of the five passengers lost in the sub, claimed that he bypassed third party agency for the certification process because it would slow things down.  

 “When you’re operating submarines like that, you go slow if you need to,” Chabot advises. 

 He says proper safety certification is necessary, like the SubSafe program, because any mechanical issue can turn into disaster with the unforgiving nature of the ocean.  

 “The biggest concern is just the ocean pressure trying to get inside, and on the inside is a fire breaking out, which is one of the worst things that can happen on a submarine,” explains Chabot. 

 He says if a fully certified submarine does get stuck, that there’s not much even a trained U.S. Navy officer could do. 

 “If we’re stuck at the bottom of the ocean, it’s just waiting,” Chabot shares. “You conserve your oxygen, you conserve your calories, you do everything you can to conserve everything as much as possible.”  

 Chabot imagines the Titan tragedy may scare people from joining the Navy, but he advises it’s a big difference being undersea for pleasure versus fighting for the country.  

 “Different standards, different training, different certifications,” says Chabot. 

  Chabot served in the Navy for about 10 years, and he says he actually would go back into a submarine if he could.  

 Questions still arise about the future of these submersibles, and if they will ever see deep water again.