The U.S. Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the implosion of the Titan submersible, which resulted in the deaths of all five people on board, including OceanGate co-founder Stockton Rush. The Coast Guard is interviewing former employees of OceanGate in an effort to uncover the facts surrounding the incident and develop recommendations to prevent similar tragedies in the future. This Marine Board of Investigation is the highest level of marine casualty investigation conducted by the Coast Guard and will explore all aspects of the loss of the Titan, including mechanical failures, regulatory compliance, and crew qualifications. The company has pledged full cooperation with both the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board investigations.
The Titan submersible had faced scrutiny within the undersea exploration community for its unconventional design and the decision to forgo standard independent checks. The implosion claimed the lives of Stockton Rush, veteran Titanic explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British adventurer Hamish Harding, and members of a prominent Pakistani family. The Titan lost contact with its support vessel two hours into its final dive, prompting an extensive international search that eventually led to the discovery of the wreckage on the ocean floor. The hearings will feature key witnesses from OceanGate, including the former engineering director, finance director, and contractor, as well as government and industry officials.
The Coast Guard does not comment on why specific individuals are not called to testify during ongoing investigations, but it is common for a Marine Board of Investigation to hold multiple hearing sessions for complex cases. The investigation into the Titan incident was initially set to be completed within a year, but the complex nature of the case has extended the deadline. Earlier this year, scientists proposed that “micro-buckling” in the hull of the Titan submersible may have caused it to collapse under pressure. Professor Roberto Ballarini suggested that imperfections in the carbon fiber used to construct the hull, combined with damage from previous dives, may have left the vessel vulnerable to collapse.
OceanGate, the company that owned the Titan submersible, has suspended operations since the incident and currently has no full-time employees. The company will be represented by an attorney during the hearings, and key witnesses are slated to testify about the events leading up to the implosion. The U.S. Coast Guard has subpoenaed witnesses who were not government employees, and the company has pledged full cooperation with the investigations. The goal of the hearings is to shed light on the cause of the tragedy and to develop recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future. The hearing will explore all aspects of the loss of the Titan, including mechanical failures, regulatory compliance, and crew qualifications.
