James Cameron was underwater in a Titanic submersible when 9/11 happened

James Cameron, director of the 1997 movie Titanic, was in a submersible in the Atlantic Ocean, somewhere near the Titanic wreckage site, when the world changed. It was September 11, 2001, and Osama Bin Laden had just struck the World Trade Towers. Cameron, several thousands of feet under water, was blissfully unaware of it all.

The anecdote has come up as we talk and read about the missing OceanGate submersible, Titan.

In a clip from a 2020 Joe Rogan Podcast, Bill Paxton, who played the treasure hunter Brock Lovett in James Cameron's movie Titanic, narrates an intriguing tale of James Cameron's dive to the Titanic wreckage site on September 11, 2001. The dive took an unforeseen turn when he and his crew learnt about the events that had unfolded on American soil while they were deep in the ocean.

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The discovery 

After completing their exploration of the ill-fated Titanic that claimed around 1,500 lives in 1912, Cameron and his team resurfaced to receive shocking news. It was then that the director was informed of the events that had transpired on American soil just 12 hours prior.

“What is this thing that’s going on?” Cameron asked Paxton after resurfacing.

“The worst terrorist attack in history, Jim,” Paxton replied.

Cameron told Spiegel International in 2012, upon realising the situation, that 'he had likely been the last person in the Western Hemisphere to become aware of the attacks'. Cameron also asked himself the relevance of delving into historical events on that particular day, while the world was going through unbelievable events unfolding in real time.

Paxton, in 2002 told The Guardian, “I said, ‘Jim, the world changed from the time you went down till you came back.’ It was strange. We felt a little bit like survivors out there.”

Finding meaning in tragedy

Paxton, who was also part of the crew, shared similar feelings as Cameron. He compared their state of mind to that of survivors during the ongoing crisis. The documentary Ghosts of the Abyss, released in 2003 and directed by Cameron, captured the crew's unwavering dedication to their mission amidst the shocking impact of the 9/11 attacks.

Together, they recognised that their expedition suddenly felt less important in light of the immense tragedy that had occurred.

The stark contrast between their underwater exploration and the devastating 9/11 attacks made Cameron re-think the purpose of the mission. The crew realised that art, such as the movie Titanic, could play a role in helping people deal with significant disasters and find ways to cope with their emotions.

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