OceanGate Submersible Investigation Set for Public Release as Insiders Testify

Employees of OceanGate are scheduled to testify at a hearing regarding the fatal implosion of the Titan submersible over a year ago in the North Atlantic.

The Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation has announced that the hearing will commence on September 16 in North Charleston, South Carolina, with an expected duration of two weeks.

The primary objective of the hearing is to uncover the facts surrounding the incident and to formulate recommendations to prevent similar tragedies in the future, according to a press statement issued on Friday.

The witness list includes former employees of OceanGate, such as Tony Nissen, the engineering director, Bonnie Carl, and David Lochridge, the operations director. Their testimonies will likely provide crucial insights into the events leading up to the tragedy.

The entirety of the hearing will be live-streamed on the Coast Guard’s YouTube channel, making it accessible for public viewing.

The Titan submersible embarked on its journey on June 18, 2023, with the aim of exploring the wreckage of the RMS Titanic, located nearly 13,000 feet beneath the ocean’s surface.

However, less than two hours into the dive, the vessel lost contact, prompting a desperate search and rescue operation.

On June 22, officials from the U.S. Coast Guard and OceanGate confirmed that debris discovered on the ocean floor revealed the submersible had imploded, tragically resulting in the deaths of the five people aboard.

The victims of this incident included British billionaire Hamish Harding, British-Pakistani multimillionaire Shahzada Dawood, his 19-year-old son Suleman, and former French Navy diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, was also among those who lost their lives in the implosion. Rush had previously expressed concerns about the stringent regulations he felt hindered marine exploration, despite asserting that the industry was “obscenely safe.”

In the aftermath of the incident, legal experts indicated that OceanGate might have some protection against future lawsuits, as passengers aboard the Titan had signed waivers that explicitly outlined death risks multiple times.

Nevertheless, in August, Nargeolet’s family initiated a wrongful death lawsuit against OceanGate and Rush’s estate, seeking over $50 million in damages. They argue that the implosion was a result of “carelessness, recklessness and negligence” on the part of the company.

Representatives from the Coast Guard have not provided immediate comments regarding this ongoing situation, as the request for information was made outside of business hours.

The upcoming hearing represents a critical opportunity to delve into the circumstances leading to one of the most tragic events in recent exploration history, aiming to better understand what went wrong and how similar occurrences can be prevented in the future.

As details unfold, it remains to be seen what recommendations will emerge from this investigation and how they may impact the future of deep-sea exploration and safety regulations.

Source: Business Insider