Research related to Titanic shipwreck led director of USS KIDD Museum to Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The Executive Director of the USS KIDD Veterans Museum in Baton Rouge is helping researchers get a closer look at the world’s most famous shipwreck, the Titanic.

Parks Stephenson is a long-time Titanic explorer and analyst. He first dived on the Titanic wreck with film director James Cameron in 2005, and again with deep-ocean explorer Victor Vescovo in 2019. In addition to personally diving on the wreck, Parks has been to the wreck site of Titanic five times since 2005 and twice to the wreck site of Titanic’s sister ship, Britannic, as a forensic wreck analyst. His dives on Titanic put Parks on a patch that led him ultimately to the USS KIDD in Baton Rouge.

Parks was tapped by Magellan/Atlantic Productions to conduct the initial assessment of the new Titanic photogrammetry model, the existence of which was just now publicly released.

The first full-sized digital scan of the Titanic was created using deep-sea mapping. It provides a unique 3D view of the ship, allowing it to be seen as if the water has been drained away.

The new technology could potentially uncover what caused the Titanic to sink.

In addition to his regular duties at USS KIDD – where he is actively campaigning to raise funds for an overhaul period for the ship in a Louisiana shipyard, Parks will continue to work with Atlantic and Cameron in furthering Titanic research.

Click here to report a typo.