Ohio billionaire planning ‘Return to the Titanic’ despite doomed Titan submersible voyage
Patrick Lahey and Larry Connor will plunge the depths in the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer
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An Ohio billionaire is planning to "Return to the Titanic," despite last year’s doomed voyage of the Titan Submersible.
A spokesman for Larry Connor confirmed reports to FOX Business that the real estate investor is partnering with Patrick Lahey, co-founder and CEO of Triton Submarines, to build a sub and return to the Titanic in the summer of 2026.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Connor called Lahey just days after OceanGate’s Titan submersible imploded last year while carrying five passengers and told him he wanted to build a sub that could withstand plunging the depths to visit the Titanic.
Connor, who is worth an estimated $2 billion, reportedly told Lahey that he wanted to "demonstrate to the world that you guys can do that."
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L-R: Larry Connor and Patrick Lahey. (Handout: The Connor Group / Fox News)
"I want to show people that while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life-changing if you go about it the right way," Connor told The Journal.
According to the report, Lahey and Connor will plunge the depths in the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer, a two-person vessel so named because it can dive an estimated 4,000 meters.
A rendering of the 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer. (The Connor Group / Fox News)
A spokesman for Connor told FOX Business that the mission "is to demonstrate the feasibility of constructing and operating a never-before-built, one-of-a-kind submarine capable of deep-sea exploration."
Triton Submarines describes the vessel as a "high-performance, flexible platform designed specifically for professional applications."
"Fully deployed, the Gull Wings raise the vehicle’s propulsion up and away from the seabed, ensuring that delicate species or free-floating objects remain undisturbed," reads a description of the vessel on Triton Submarines’ website.
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This file image provided by OceanGate shows the Titan submersible descending into the ocean before it imploded. (OceanGate Expeditions / Fox News)
The Titan submersible suffered a catastrophic implosion last June one hour and 45 minutes into its descent toward the wreck of the Titanic. The submersible passengers included U.K. billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, father-son pair Shahzada Dawood and Suleman Dawood, and French mariner Paul-Henry Nargeolet.
Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.