Evidence provided at a recent US Coast Guard hearing indicated that the crew of the catastrophic Titan submarine, which imploded in June 2023 while on a mission to the Titanic wreckage, received the final message, “All good here.” The message arrived nearly an hour before they lost contact. Following the catastrophe, OceanGate has ceased all activities. The Coast Guard’s Titan submersible investigation is gathering evidence from former workers and maritime specialists to understand the circumstances of the accident.
The five-person deep-sea vessel, which included OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and British adventurer Hamish Harding, began descending on June 18, 2023. Investigators recently made public a reenactment of the voyage, complete with texts exchanged between the Titan and its mothercraft, the Polar Prince. After diving to a depth of 3,346 meters, the crew reported losing two weights at 10:47 local time. After this transmission, communication ceased, and investigators later determined that the submersible had collapsed.
The Titan submersible investigation revealed that the hull had never undergone third-party testing and had been exposed to the elements during storage. Previous dives had also revealed submersible problems, with 118 technical faults reported in 2021 and 2022. These issues included thruster malfunctions and battery failures, which left passengers stranded for extended periods.
The hearing has also sparked questions over OceanGate’s safety regulations and design. Tony Nissen, a former OceanGate director of engineering, testified that Stockton Rush made the most critical engineering decisions and frequently disregarded outside advice. He expressed concern about the company’s activities from a personal and professional standpoint.
Following the catastrophe, OceanGate has ceased all activities. Former workers and maritime experts are testifying before the Coast Guard’s Marine Board of Investigations on the Titan submarine catastrophe. As regulators examine the Titan submersible tragedy and improve commercial undersea exploration safety, civil or criminal consequences may occur.
