There so many parts of the story that seem convenient, I get a weird feeling this is some sort of viral marketing test or something. The sub disappears and the people are "never heard from again" - maybe I'm just skeptical. "Oceangate" optimized for SEO and trending, the father and son tragedy, the cheap remote control, no transponder and seemingly terrible planning at every step. The SJW angle with the "old white men" comment... interesting to think about.
More likely is that these people actually sunk and died, but I can't help but wonder.