Coast Guard Opens Hearing in to Titan Submersible Disaster

On June 18th, 2023, the world was riveted to the saga of the Titan Submersible that vanished while going down to see the wreck of the Titanic. Now, Coast Guard hearings have begun.

   The purpose of the hearings is to provide safety recommendations.

 According to the USCG, the hearings, which will last up to 2 weeks, are designed to answer questions, and provide safety recommendations to state, Federal and even international agencies, so future such disasters won’t happen again.

The Titan Submersible, with five people on board, was likely crushed by the water pressure several thousand feet down as it headed to the Titanic. On board the Oceangate vessel was the company founder Stockton Rush, and four passengers, deep sea explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, who was experienced in visiting the Titanic wreck site; British tycoon Hamish Harding, 58; and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his teenage son, Suleman. (according to NBC News). The scattered wreckage was found four days later around the Titanic zone.

So far, USCG officials have heard the Titan suffered at least 100 safety or equipment issues prior to the ill-fated voyage, according to former worker and engineer at Oceangate, Tony Nissen. According to NBC:

(Nissen), “who was hired in 2016 as the engineering director at OceanGate, an underwater exploration company, testified that the relationship between him and its CEO, Stockton Rush, “soured” as the Titan was being completed in early 2018 and set to undergo testing. That year, the submersible was struck by lightning, Nissen said, compromising its experimental carbon fiber hull.

Nissen said there was also a crack in the hull, which he didn’t believe was salvageable, and so he declined to greenlight a planned expedition for the following year.”

  Experts have said the carbon fiber hull was never truly tested for depth pressure, and they pointed to other cost-cutting measures Rush employed on his craft, some that they believe eventually led to its demise.

 Once the hearings are completed, a report will be issued.