Former employees of the owner of the Titanic submersible will testify before the Coast Guard panel

Portland, Maine, September 10, 2024. Former employees of OceanGate, the company that owned the "Titan" submersible that imploded on its way to the wreck of the Titanic, plan to testify before the Coast Guard investigative panel at an upcoming hearing. In June 2023, the implosion of the "Titan" submersible that killed five people sparked a global debate on the future of private undersea exploration. The US Coast Guard quickly launched a high-level investigation and will enter the public hearing stage on September 16.

The public hearing will be held in Charleston County, South Carolina and will last for two weeks. It aims to reveal the truth of the incident and propose recommendations to prevent similar tragedies. Planned witnesses to appear include Guillermo Sohnlein, another co-founder of OceanGate, and the company's former director of engineering, operations and science. The former administrative and financial director of OceanGate and others who have worked for the company will also testify, as well as many Coast Guard officials, scientists, and others.

The "Titan" has been scrutinized for its unconventional design and the abandonment of standard independent inspections. The implosion led to multiple deaths, including OceanGate co-founder Stockton Rush. After the "Titan" made its last dive on June 18, 2023, it lost contact. Rescuers took urgent action and finally found wreckage on the seabed about 300 meters from the bow of the Titanic. The investigation into the disappearance of the submersible was originally scheduled to take one year but actually took longer. The Coast Guard said that the public hearing will examine all aspects of the disappearance of the "Titan." OceanGate has refused to publicly comment on the investigation.