Coast Guard releases video of Titan submersible wreck
The Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation released this remotely operated vehicle footage of the Titan submersible’s tail cone in support of the hearing in North Charleston, Sept. 17, 2024. This video led to the conclusive evidence of the catastrophic loss of the submersible Titan and the death of all five members aboard. In the foreground, a piece of carbon fiber can be seen beside the tail cone. (U.S. Coast Guard video courtesy of Pelagic Research Services)
As a hearing continues this week about what caused the Titan submersible implosion, a new video has been released to recreate the last moments of the tragic incident in 2023.
The underwater video, released by the U.S. Coast Guard, shows the wreckage of the submersible on the ocean floor. The implosion happened after less than two hours into its descent towards the wreck of the Titanic, killing all five passengers onboard.
RELATED: Titan submersible Coast Guard hearings begin this week
Full timeline: Titan submersible’s final dive
This animation, created for the Marine Board of Investigation Titan submersible hearing, shows the Titan’s position and messages to the surface during its fateful dive. The dive portion starts about 2 minutes into the video. (U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary animation by Gary T. Markle)
One of the images showed the debris that was recovered from the ocean floor. OceanGate, the company that owned the submersible, arranged for private tours to explore the Titanic shipwreck. It was later criticized for its lack of testing and use of experimental materials.
Titan Submersible hearing
The U.S. Coast Guard quickly launched an investigation into what happened in the Titan submersible implosion in 2023, and a public hearing began Monday and is scheduled to last two weeks.
David Lochridge, OceanGate’s former operations director, who labeled the submersible unsafe prior to its voyage last year, testified Tuesday that the tragedy could have been prevented if a federal safety agency had investigated his complaint.
The Titan submersible’s unpressurized tail is seen in this view from U.S. Coast Guard video, courtesy of Pelagic Research Services.
RELATED: Titan submersible Coast Guard hearings begin this week
According to the Associated Press. Lochridge said he frequently clashed with the company’s co-founder and felt the company was committed only to making money.
Lochridge said during testimony that eight months after he filed an OSHA complaint, a caseworker told him the agency had not begun investigating it yet and there were 11 cases ahead of his case.
During that time, OceanGate sued Lochridge, and he filed a countersuit. About 10 months after Lochridge filed the complaint, he decided to walk away. The case was closed and both lawsuits were dropped.
The Titan submersible’s unpressurized tail is seen in this view from U.S. Coast Guard video, courtesy of Pelagic Research Services.
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The AP noted that Lochridge was one of the most anticipated witnesses to appear before a commission. His testimony echoed that of other former employees Monday, one of whom described OceanGate head Stockton Rush as volatile and difficult to work with.
The board is expected to issue a report with evidence, conclusions, and recommendations once its investigation is finished.
What happened in the Titan submersible implosion?
A submersible carrying five people to the Titanic imploded near the site of the shipwreck and killed everyone on board.
The craft made its last dive on June 18, 2023, and lost contact with its support vessel about two hours later. When it was reported overdue that afternoon, rescuers rushed ships, planes, and other equipment to the area, about 435 miles south of St. John’s, Newfoundland.
The Coast Guard announced on June 22 that debris had been found near the Titanic on the ocean floor. Authorities have since recovered the submersible’s intact endcap, debris and presumed human remains from the site.
Who were the victims?
The victims of the implosion were Stockton Rush, who also co-founded OceanGate, two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman Dawood; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
Harding and Nargeolet were members of The Explorers Club, a professional society dedicated to research, exploration, and resource conservation.
