On Sunday word broke that a small submersible containing five people had gone missing during a trip to visit the wreckage of the RMS Titanic. As of this writing, the vessel, operated by the company OceanGate, was still AWOL. There’s a good chance this could end in tragedy. The incident has inevitably got people thinking of James Cameron, director of the 1997 blockbuster Titanic and who’s done the same dive, successfully, 33 times. Some even dug up an old interview in which he warned people not to take deep sea trips lightly.
As per Mediaite, Cameron spoke with The New York Times all the way back in 2012, after he descended into the Mariana trench — the deepest part of the planet’s oceans, nearly seven terrifying miles down. Cameron was prepared: He’d teamed with leading scientists, a retired Navy officer, and other experts. He also took up yoga so he could spend some nine hours largely immobile.
His vessel, which descended vertically, was also tricked out with all manner of life-saving backup tools. Before his mission to the deepest oceanic trench on Earth, he took numerous test runs. He was nothing if not safe — while doing something that’s potentially suicidal.
“You’re going into one of the most unforgiving places on earth,” Cameron said. “It’s not like you can call up AAA to come get you.”
Cameron’s words sting even more given that OceanGate reportedly didn’t heed safety concerns. Some pointed out that the filmmaker consulted with scientists more than the OceanGate folks apparently had.
I would also like to point out James Cameron not only went to visit the Titanic, he has gone deeper in the ocean than any human ever has. And he was fucking fine. You know why? Because he’s not a fucking idiot. He had his equipment approved by scientists.
— Lance Stein
(@lancestein936) June 21, 2023
Or maybe the tourists — who paid $250,000 a person for the possibly doomed trip — should have just gone to Cameron instead.
If I were a billionaire who wanted to see the titanic, I’d simply arrange a meeting with James Cameron and ask him how I should go about doing it, instead of paying $250k to some random failson pic.twitter.com/wZ0RGZUBeA
— blue check buying freaks Fan Account
(@JumpDudeTslaQ) June 21, 2023
After all, Cameron has done this thing right.
Lmao James Cameron’s sub was so tricked out and these guys thought they could go that deep in a BOX? https://t.co/0WdFI966DK pic.twitter.com/itWKaYiG0U
— Three-Eyed Raisin (@GulagJamun_) June 20, 2023
https://twitter.com/AChillGhost/status/1671635637542240256
James Cameron got a phone call from his wife at 27,000 feet below the surface but oceangate couldn’t even put a tracking device
https://t.co/cPEEflZS4S
— Will dance for infrastructure (@fkaLuna__) June 20, 2023
Some wondered what Cameron is thinking about all this.
Do you think James Cameron has been watching the news the past few days like “these fucking guys, with their money and their hubris. They think they can own nature but nature will always own them.”
— Zach – Armed and Stinky (@ZachKindron) June 21, 2023
And some shared the strange story about Cameron emerging from one deep dive trip in 2001, only to learn about the September 11 attacks.
you’re telling me bill paxton broke the news to james cameron on 9/11 without using the words “game over, man”? https://t.co/xArZ6bmw0z
— Al Shipley (@alshipley) June 21, 2023
Cameron spoke further about the safety required for deep sea trips back in 2018 to Rolling Stone Australia.
“I call it bearing witness. I get to bear witness to a miracle that’s down there all the time,” he said. “This is not just some, you know rich guy ego thing. This is about, you’ve got so much time on this planet, so much life, so much breath in your body. You have to do something. If you should be fortunate enough to make some money and have some capital, some working capital, why not put it into your dream.”
In the meantime, here’s hoping that this ends on a happy note.
(Via Mediaite)