By Friday, Sept. 20, the US Coast Guard’s Marine Board of Investigation had completed a week’s worth of testimony from individuals close to the Titan submersible, which imploded in June 2023. The hearings are set to resume on Monday for a second week.
The incident, which confirmed the deaths of all five passengers after a four-day search, occurred during a deep-sea expedition operated by OceanGate Inc. The mission aimed to view the wreckage of the Titanic. Less than two hours into its descent, the Titan submersible imploded, raising concerns about its safety, design, and the materials used in its construction.
Here’s everything we know so far from the first week of testimony in the two-week set of hearings.
New Footage Reveals the Wreckage of the Titan Submersible
The U.S. Coast Guard released new footage showing the wreckage of the Titan submersible on the ocean floor. The deep-sea vessel, marked with the “OceanGate” logo, is surrounded by scattered debris. The footage also reveals the vessel’s tail, along with its wires, gauges, and electronics. The images were captured by a remotely operated vehicle.
New footage of the destroyed Titan submersible has been released ahead of an official hearing on its implosion during the Titanic expedition. pic.twitter.com/DLptBkKe8P
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 19, 2024
Witness Recalls Last Look at the Titan Crew Before Descent
Mission specialist Renata Rojas, who volunteered for the Titan trip, testified before the U.S. Coast Guard about her interactions with the crew prior to the sub’s descent.
Rojas became emotional as she recalled seeing “five people smiling” before they boarded the Titan, saying, “They were just happy to go, that’s the memory I have.” She also described the moment communication was lost, asking colleagues, “We haven’t heard from them; where are they?”
Having previously visited the Titanic wreck with OceanGate, Rojas noted that the Titan submersible was neither classified nor registered. She acknowledged the risks but stated, “I knew the Titanic dive was risky, but I never felt unsafe.”
The five passengers on the Titan were Pakistani-British businessman Shahzada Dawood, his 19-year-old son, Suleman Dawood, British businessman Hamish Harding, former French Navy commander and submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush.
Crew’s Final Words Before the Tragic Implosion
Investigators reported that communications were patchy throughout the descent.
One of the crew’s final messages before losing contact with a ship above water stated, “All good here.” This message was sent about one hour into the dive to the support vessel Polar Prince at a depth of 3,346 meters.
Safety Concerns Were Raised Before the Titan’s Implosion
Investigators revealed that the Titan had suffered over 100 equipment issues in the two years leading up to the tragedy, raising safety concerns from the outset of the testimony.
Tony Nissen, who was hired as OceanGate’s engineering director in 2016, testified that his relationship with CEO Rush “soured” as the Titan neared completion in early 2018. He noted that the submersible was struck by lightning that year, compromising its experimental carbon fiber hull. Nissen was eventually fired.
Former operations director David Lochridge testified that he had warned the U.S. Coast Guard that the Titan’s carbon shell wasn’t properly tested for deep-sea dives before his dismissal in 2018. He claimed that the “whole idea” of OceanGate was “to make money,” with “very little in the way of science.” After his firing, Lochridge was sued by OceanGate for revealing confidential information, to which he countersued for wrongful dismissal.
Patrick Lahey, co-founder of rival Triton Submarines, expressed concerns to Rush about the Titan’s design, particularly regarding the previous glass dome, emphasizing the need for proper certification.
Steven Ross, a marine scientist and crew member on Dive 87 during the Titan’s fourth mission in 2023, testified that a platform malfunction caused all five passengers to be thrown to the back of the submersible for at least an hour.
Antonella Wilby, a former engineering contractor for OceanGate, stated that she considered alerting the board about a concerning incident during a dive on July 15, 2022. She recounted a debrief meeting where a customer reported hearing a loud bang “as loud as an explosion” upon resurfacing. Another employee warned her against speaking up, suggesting she risked legal action and accusing her of lacking an “explorer mindset.”
“Anyone should feel free to speak up about safety without fear of retribution, and that is not at all what I saw,” Wilby said. “I was entirely dismissed.”
