Monday was the first day of a hearing, expected to last two weeks, looking into the implosion of the Titan submersible.
Monday 16 September 2024 19:31, UK
Monday was the first day of a hearing, expected to last two weeks, looking into the implosion of the Titan submersible.
One of the final messages from the Titan submersible crew said they were “all good here” before it imploded, killing all five on board.
British adventurer Hamish Harding and father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood died alongside OceanGate Expeditions’ chief executive Stockton Rush and Frenchman Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
The crew began to lose contact with those aboard the Polar Prince who repeatedly asked about the submersible’s depth and weight as it descended toward the wreck of the Titanic.
The Polar Prince also repeatedly asked if the Titan could still see the ship on its onboard display.
One of the Titan’s final responses, which became spotty as it descended deeper, was “all good here”.
The crew began to lose contact with those aboard the Polar Prince who repeatedly asked about the submersible’s depth and weight as it descended toward the wreck of the Titanic.
The Polar Prince also repeatedly asked if the Titan could still see the ship on its onboard display.
One of the Titan’s final responses, which became spotty as it descended deeper, was “all good here”.
‘Uncover the facts’
The hearing in Charleston County, South Carolina, is expected to last two weeks.
It aims to “uncover the facts surrounding the incident and develop recommendations to prevent similar tragedies in the future”.
“There are no words to ease the loss endured by the families impacted by this tragic incident,” said Jason Neubauer of the US Coast Guard Office of Investigations, who led the hearing.
Speaking at the hearing, US Coast Guard officials also said that the Titan had been left exposed to weather and the elements during seven months of storage in 2022 and 2023.
The hull was also never reviewed by any third parties as is standard procedure, they added.
