Titan sub hearing live: US Coast Guard resumes proceedings following damning whistleblower testimony
Coast Guard has released more footage of the Titan submersible wreckage including remnants of its hull scattered on the sea bed, following the ‘catastrophic implosion’ that killed all five passengers on board
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Two former OceanGate employees are expected to testify at the US Coast Guard’s hearing into the disastrous deep-sea voyage to the wreck of the Titanic that saw the “catastrophic implosion” of the Titan submersible, killing all five passengers on board.
Renata Rojas, the mission specialist from the US submersible company that operated the expedition, will address the Titan Marine Board of Investigations panel at approximately 9am ET, followed by former scientific director Dr Steven Ross after lunch.
It follows damning testimony on Tuesday from OceanGate’s former director of marine operations David Lochridge who stated he had “no confidence whatsoever” with the Titan’s construction.
“It was inevitable something was going to happen. It was just a [question of] when,” the whistleblower, who is one of 10 ex-OceanGate staff or suppliers that make up the 24 witnesses, testified.
The Coast Guard released more footage of the Titan sub wreckage on Wednesday, with video from June 22, 2023 showing remnants of the hull and carbon fiber debris scattered across the sea bed.
It comes two days after the release of the first clip showing Titan’s mangled tail cone, which was “conclusive evidence of the catastrophic loss” onboard the vessel.
Nissen discusses the ‘pressure’ felt to jumpstart operations
When asked if there was “pressure” to start operations, Nissen said: “100 percent.”
‘All good here’: Animation reveals haunting final text from crew
The MBI’s animation at the start of the hearing showed final communications between and the support vessel Polar Prince and the Titan before the implosion.
The animation highlighted the spotty communications in text bubbles.,
The Polar Prince sent repeated messages that largely went unanswered. One of Titan’s final responses was “all good here,” according to the animation.
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