Former employees of the company that owned an experimental submersible, which tragically imploded on its way to the Titanic wreck, are set to provide testimony at a forthcoming Coast Guard investigatory board hearing. The Titan submersible collapsed in the North Atlantic in June 2023, resulting in the death of all five individuals onboard and sparking a global conversation about private undersea exploration. In response to the incident, the U.S. Coast Guard promptly initiated an in-depth investigation to determine what transpired, with the public hearing phase scheduled for September 16th.
OceanGate, the company based in Washington state that possessed the Titan submersible, ceased operations following the implosion that claimed the lives of company co-founder Stockton Rush and his companions. Among the witnesses slated to speak at the upcoming hearing are Guillermo Sohnlein, another co-founder of OceanGate, as well as the company’s former engineering director, operations director, and scientific director. The Coast Guard shared that the objective of the public hearing is to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident and formulate recommendations to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
The official Marine Board of Investigation, conducted by the Coast Guard, is at the highest level for marine casualty investigations and is mandated with examining the causes of the marine mishap and proposing measures to enhance maritime safety. Scheduled to span two weeks, the hearing is being held in Charleston, South Carolina, with the board anticipated to release a report containing evidence, conclusions, and recommendations upon the completion of its investigation.
Additional witnesses expected to testify include OceanGate’s former director of administration, former finance director, and other personnel associated with the company. The witness list also encompasses various Coast Guard officials, scientists, government representatives, industry professionals, and more. The Titan drew scrutiny within the undersea exploration community due to its unique design and its creator’s choice to forego standard independent checks, resulting in the fatalities of Rush, veteran Titanic explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, and British explorer Hamish Harding.
The Titan’s final dive on June 18, 2023, ended in loss of contact with its support vessel roughly two hours later. The subsequent search operation for the submersible, located approximately 435 miles south of St. John’s, Newfoundland, drew global attention as hopes diminished for any survivors. Eventually, debris from the Titan was discovered on the ocean floor, around 300 meters off the bow of the Titanic, according to Coast Guard officials.
Initially scheduled for a year, the investigation into the submersible’s loss has extended beyond its intended timeframe. As of a July 2024 statement, the Coast Guard highlighted that the public hearing will scrutinize all facets of the Titan’s loss, including historical events leading up to the accident, compliance with regulations, crew responsibilities and qualifications, mechanical and structural systems, emergency responses, and the submersible industry as a whole. Since the incident, OceanGate has opted not to publicly address the Coast Guard’s investigation.
