Not a terribly surprising development.
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I read a different article on the topic yesterday, where the family posited that the crew would have known the eventuality rather than just an instantaneous burst. That when the submersible released its weights they would have known something was wrong and then the approximately 90m as they continued to sink lower the people would have realized what the outcome was to be. Makes me curious as to what it would have been like inside the submersible during that time, and it’s what the family was calling the mental anguish of the deceased.
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Would you mind sharing the article if possible? Would be very interested to read it…
Incredibly sad to imagine they knew what was happening…
It is not clear they knew anything. There was an alleged transcript of final communications between the doomed submersible and the ship circulating online. This transcript turned out to be fake.
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I had seen the article on Yahoo. This one might be it, and I pulled the related quote:
According to the lawsuit, the Titan “dropped weights” about 90 minutes into its dive, indicating the team had aborted or attempted to abort the dive.
“While the exact cause of failure may never be determined, experts agree that the Titan’s crew would have realized exactly what was happening,” the lawsuit states. “Common sense dictates that the crew were well aware they were going to die, before dying.”
The lawsuit goes on to say: “The crew may well have heard the carbon fiber’s crackling noise grow more intense as the weight of the water pressed on Titan’s hull. The crew lost communications and perhaps power as well. By experts’ reckoning, they would have continued to descend, in full knowledge of the vessel’s irreversible failures, experiencing terror and mental anguish prior to the Titan ultimately imploding.”
It just seems like a lot of speculation. I would expect more concrete evidence for the lawsuit to succeed?
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Unlike the 19 year old kid, the French explorer was not a novice to the world of underwater exploration. He should have known very well the dangers involved, no matter what kind of paperwork he signed or did not. IMO, this lawsuit’s purpose is to put the tragedy back in the spotlight and maybe force the official investigation to release more information.
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Thank you for sharing this 
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More details in this GeekWire article:
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/titanic-nargeolet-oceangate-lawsuit/
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Quote from the article, emphasis added:
The lawsuit alleges that Nargeolet “sustained conscious pre-death pain and suffering” as the sub failed, and that his family members “have suffered enormous mental anguish, loss of financial support, and loss of inheritance.”
Per Wikipedia (so not exactly the best source ever):
Nargeolet had two daughters, Chloé and Sidonie; a son, Julien; a stepson, John Nathaniel Paschall; and four grandsons. His wife Michele Marsh, an Emmy Award-winning American television reporter, died in 2017.[(Paul-Henri Nargeolet - Wikipedia)
Nargeolet’s wife had already passed away and his children were old enough to be reproducing. Unless one of his kids has special needs and is therefore quite dependent on his financial support, it’s the responsibility of his kids to support themselves. And if Nargeolet died in the Titan submersible or was hit by a car while walking along the street or passed away in his sleep…wouldn’t the inheritance be the same? Why does dying by the Titan catastrophe mean the elimination of an inheritance?
Suffice it to say, I am not impressed with the rationale here.
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The complaint says that Nargeolet was a resident of NY and married at the time of death and was providing financial support to his spouse Anne Sarraz-Bournet and his children. Not sure how much support his children were getting from him.
The adult children do not live in the US and decided to sell his house:
Full complaint:
From the real estate article:
In an exclusive interview with Realtor.com®, the seafarer’s youngest daughter, Sidonie Nargeolet, 39
So Nargeolet remarried and thus had a spouse at the time of his death, but once one’s kids are 39+, they should generally be able to stand on their own two feet. It’ll be interesting to see how how the case turns out.
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Absolutely agree.
Wonder what kind of inheritance they can’t get? They seemed to have been able to sell the house. Maybe life insurance policies? Usually there is no payout if the person participated in a dangerous activity.
The three subcontractors who made pieces of the Titan have been dragged into the lawsuit. I would not be shocked if they are able to shake it off quickly.
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Also interesting:
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And the hearing begins…
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