Titan sub hearing live: OceanGate volunteer said nobody was concerned until sub ‘was really overdue’ from dive
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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A tearful mission specialist recounted collecting personal belongings from the victims of an OceanGate sub before it dove under the water and the dangers of dives to the site of the Titanic wreck.
Renata Rojas, the mission specialist from the US submersible company that operated the expedition, addressed the US Coast Guard Titan Marine Board of Investigations panel. Former OceanGate scientific director Dr Steven Ross is testifying now.
They are two of the witnesses testifying to the panel investigating the “catastrophic implosion” of the Titan submersible, killing all five passengers on board.
Their comments come after damning Tuesday testimony 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.
Two more OceanGate employees to testify as hearing returns this morning
Two more OceanGate employees are expected to testify as witnesses today, as the US Coast Guard’s public hearing returns after a break on Wednesday.
Renata Rojas, a mission specialist for the company that owned the Titan submersible, will be first up to speak in front of Titan Marine Board of Investigations panel at approximately 9.00am ET this morning. She will address the panel until about 12.30pm, with a 10 minute recess at 10.30am.
After lunch, Dr Dr Steven Ross, OceanGate’s former scientific director, will testify at approximately 1.30pm. The hearing is expected to conclude after a break down at 3.00pm before returning on Friday morning.
Hearings will resume on Thursday at 8.30am ET.
Our blog will be paused until then.
Watch: Coast Guard releases footage that provided ‘conclusive evidence’ that Titan passengers died
Newly-released footage of Titan sub wreckage surfaces
David Lochridge is released as witness
Hearings will resume on Thursday at 8.30am.
Our blog will be paused until then.
Lochridge testifies that OceanGate took safety shortcuts
“The way this company was going about this project, bypassing all the standardized rules and regulations that are set in place by people with experience...they bypassed it all,” Lochridge said.
It was inevitable something was going to happen. It was just a [question of] when,” he continued.
Witnesses discuss the ‘push’ to launch the vessel
Lochridge told the panel that there was a “push” to launch the Titan.
“They were very push push push to get this out the door as fast as possible so they could start making profit,” he said on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, Lochridge said he “had no confidence whatsoever” with how the Titan was being built. “There was a big push to get this done and a lot of steps along the way were missed,” including safety concerns.
The day prior, Tony Nissen, the director of engineering, also remarked on the force felt to get the vessel to set sail.
When asked if there was “pressure” to start operations, Nissen told the panel: “100 percent.”
In photos: Key moments from the hearings so far
WATCH: Titan crew's final three-word text revealed in haunting animation of submersible's journey
‘It screams like a mother before it implodes’: Rush told Lochridge, the witness recalled
When he submitted the inspection report to senior management, Lochridge said he received a message about a meeting in the board room.
“That meeting turned out to be a two-hour discussion about my termination and how my disagreements with the organization with regards to safety didn’t matter,” he told the panel.
“It doesn’t just implode. It screams like a mother before it implodes,” Rush said about carbon fiber, according to Lochridge.
The witness said the company exhibited a “total disregard for safety.”
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