Relatives of those who lost their lives aboard the Titanic sinking in 1912 have expressed their dismay over tourist trips to the shipwreck site, such as the recent disastrous OceanGate Titan submersible’s outings, considering them “disgusting” and disrespectful. 

The family members of the victims contend that the shipwreck, the final resting place for the 1,496 people who perished on the Titanic, should be seen as a sacred underwater site rather than a venue for adrenaline-fueled adventures. John LoCascio, who lost his uncles in the Titanic disaster, reproached OceanGate for turning a profit from visits to the revered site, describing it as disgraceful. “What are you there for, to gawk?” LoCascio asked those interested in the tours. Along with other relatives, he urged the cessation of such tours, stressing the need to honor the final resting place of their relatives.

OceanGate recently faced its own crisis when its vessel, the Titan, disappeared with five people aboard, prompting a frantic search as the sub’s oxygen supply was running low. Debris from the Titan was located on June 22, and it’s assumed the occupants perished due to the vessel’s implosion. Relatives of the Titanic’s passengers are puzzled by the appeal of such risky expeditions, describing it as a grave tragedy and questioning the reason anyone would fork over $250,000 for the experience.

Some relatives of the Titanic victims, such as Brett Gladstone and T. Sean Maher, proposed that if these visits are to continue, they must be strictly controlled and undertaken with great solemnity. Shelley Binder, a descendant of a Titanic survivor, argued for a respectful study of the wreckage for research purposes, rather than promoting mere sightseeing.

The sentiments expressed by these families highlight their wish for the Titanic’s victims’ final resting place to be treated with the utmost respect and honor, reminding everyone of the ship’s tragic history and the lives it claimed.