The US Coast Guard's public hearing into the Titan submersible disaster commenced on 16 September at the Charleston County Council Building in South Carolina and is anticipated to span two weeks. The hearing seeks to elucidate the circumstances surrounding the incident and formulate recommendations to avert future tragedies. A statement from the US Coast Guard elucidated: "The hearing will scrutinize all facets of the Titan's loss, encompassing pre-accident events, regulatory adherence, crew duties and qualifications, mechanical and structural systems, emergency response protocols, and the submersible industry." The Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation unveiled the schedule and witness list earlier this month, featuring 10 ex-employees of OceanGate, an American tourism and expeditions firm. Notable witnesses include engineer David Lochridge, who claims he was dismissed from OceanGate in 2018 for voicing safety concerns about quality control, and Patrick Lahey, co-founder of Triton Submarines, who publicly commented on the Titan disaster for the first time.
BOAT will deliver daily coverage and updates on the hearing as it progresses. The Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation released remotely operated vehicle footage of the Titan submersible's aft dome, aft ring, hull remnants, and carbon fibre debris on the seafloor. Reneta Rojas, an OceanGate mission specialist, testified, detailing her role as a volunteer involved in operations. She described her background in banking rather than oceanography, her lifelong fascination with the Titanic, and her role as platform assistant on the day of the incident. Rojas mentioned an employee, Tim, who refused to board the sub due to safety concerns. David Lochridge, OceanGate's former operations director, testified about the CEO's and former engineering director's decision to remove the University of Washington Applied Physics Lab from the Titan project, expressing his lack of confidence in the sub's construction.
Lochridge attributed his concerns being dismissed to cost-cutting and poor engineering decisions, emphasizing the rush to profit from Titanic expeditions. He also recounted a previous incident where OceanGate's CEO, Stockton Rush, crashed another submersible. Lochridge's testimony was accompanied by video footage from the Coast Guard showing Titan's remains. Other former OceanGate employees, including Tony Nissen and Bonnie Carl, testified about the pressure to expedite Titan's launch and Lochridge's safety concerns. The hearing will feature 24 witnesses, including 10 former OceanGate employees. On 18 June 2023, the Titan submersible imploded during its descent to the Titanic wreck, resulting in the deaths of all five passengers aboard.
The US Coast Guard convened a Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) to probe the Titan's loss. The MBI examined debris and evidence from the seafloor, including presumed human remains, and conducted an evidence review with international partners. A purported transcript of communications between the sub and mothership was later declared fake. The Titan submersible was launched from its mothership, Polar Prince, and lost contact during its descent. Debris and remains were found near the Titanic wreck, leading to the conclusion of a catastrophic implosion. OceanGate announced the cessation of its operations, and the family of one of the victims filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company.
