Titan Submersible Wreckage Footage Released in Public Hearing
New video shows Titan's wrecked tail cone on Atlantic Ocean floor. Public hearing investigates the implosion that killed five during a Titanic wreck dive in June 2023.
The US Coast Guard has released footage of the Titan submersible wreckage as part of a public hearing investigating the tragic incident that occurred 15 months ago. The video reveals the vessel's damaged tail cone and debris scattered on the Atlantic Ocean floor, providing a somber visual of the disaster that claimed five lives.
In June 2023, the Titan, operated by OceanGate, imploded during a descent to the Titanic wreck, which lies at a depth of about 12,500 feet. The intense pressure at this depth, approximately 6,000 pounds per square inch, caused the submersible to collapse about two hours into its journey.
The victims of this tragedy were Stockton Rush, OceanGate's founder and CEO, Hamish Harding, a British explorer, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French diver, and Shahzada Dawood, a British-Pakistani businessman, along with his 19-year-old son Suleman.
The public hearing, taking place in South Carolina, is expected to last two weeks and aims to shed light on the events leading to the disaster. It was revealed that among the last communications from the crew was the message "all good here," shortly before radio contact was lost with the surface support team.
The investigation has brought intense scrutiny to OceanGate's safety practices and regulatory compliance. David Lochridge, the company's former director of marine operations who was dismissed in 2018, testified that the tragedy could have been prevented if US safety authorities had heeded his warnings. He criticized the company's culture, stating it was focused on "making money" with "very little in the way of science."
"The tragedy could have been prevented if US safety authorities had listened to my warnings."
This incident has led to calls for stricter regulation of deep-sea exploration vehicles. The Titan, made of carbon fiber and titanium, was capable of carrying five people to depths of 4,000 meters and featured the largest viewport of any deep-diving submersible. OceanGate charged $250,000 per person for the Titanic expedition.
The search for the Titan involved multiple countries and organizations, with sonar buoys detecting an underwater implosion on the day the submersible went missing. The debris field was eventually found about 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic, which sank on April 15, 1912, during its maiden voyage.
As the hearing continues, it is expected to provide more insights into the factors that contributed to this tragic event and potentially lead to improved safety measures for future deep-sea explorations.
