{"id":260434,"date":"2024-09-21T14:52:35","date_gmt":"2024-09-21T14:52:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/21\/everything-revealed-on-wreckage-from-testimony-hollywood-life\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:11:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:11:11","slug":"everything-revealed-on-wreckage-from-testimony-hollywood-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/09\/21\/everything-revealed-on-wreckage-from-testimony-hollywood-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything Revealed on Wreckage from Testimony \u2013 Hollywood Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Image Credit: AFP via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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By Friday, Sept. 20, the US Coast Guard\u2019s Marine Board of Investigation had completed a week\u2019s worth of testimony from individuals close to the Titan submersible<\/a>, which imploded in June 2023. The hearings are set to resume on Monday for a second week.<\/p>\n

The incident, which confirmed the deaths of all five passengers<\/a> after a four-day search, occurred during a deep-sea expedition operated by OceanGate Inc. The mission aimed to view the wreckage of the Titanic. Less than two hours into its descent, the Titan submersible imploded, raising concerns about its safety, design, and the materials used in its construction.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s everything we know so far from the first week of testimony in the two-week set of hearings.<\/p>\n

New Footage Reveals the Wreckage of the Titan Submersible<\/h2>\n

The U.S. Coast Guard released new footage showing the wreckage of the Titan submersible on the ocean floor. The deep-sea vessel, marked with the \u201cOceanGate\u201d logo, is surrounded by scattered debris. The footage also reveals the vessel\u2019s tail, along with its wires, gauges, and electronics. The images were captured by a remotely operated vehicle.<\/p>\n

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New footage of the destroyed Titan submersible has been released ahead of an official hearing on its implosion during the Titanic expedition. pic.twitter.com\/DLptBkKe8P<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 19, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Witness Recalls Last Look at the Titan Crew Before Descent<\/h2>\n

Mission specialist Renata Rojas<\/strong>, who volunteered for the Titan trip, testified before the U.S. Coast Guard about her interactions with the crew prior to the sub\u2019s descent.<\/p>\n

Rojas became emotional as she recalled seeing \u201cfive people smiling\u201d before they boarded the Titan, saying, \u201cThey were just happy to go, that\u2019s the memory I have.\u201d She also described the moment communication was lost, asking colleagues, \u201cWe haven\u2019t heard from them; where are they?\u201d<\/p>\n

Having previously visited the Titanic wreck with OceanGate, Rojas noted that the Titan submersible was neither classified nor registered. She acknowledged the risks but stated, \u201cI knew the Titanic dive was risky, but I never felt unsafe.\u201d<\/p>\n

The five passengers on the Titan were Pakistani-British businessman Shahzada Dawood<\/strong><\/a>, his 19-year-old son, Suleman Dawood<\/strong><\/a>, British businessman Hamish Harding<\/strong><\/a>, former French Navy commander and submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet<\/strong><\/a>, and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Crew\u2019s Final Words Before the Tragic Implosion<\/h2>\n

Investigators reported that communications were patchy throughout the descent.<\/p>\n

One of the crew\u2019s final messages<\/a> before losing contact with a ship above water stated, \u201cAll good here.\u201d This message was sent about one hour into the dive to the support vessel Polar Prince at a depth of 3,346 meters.<\/p>\n

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Safety Concerns Were Raised Before the Titan\u2019s Implosion<\/h2>\n

Investigators revealed that the Titan had suffered over 100 equipment issues in the two years leading up to the tragedy, raising safety concerns from the outset of the testimony.<\/p>\n

Tony Nissen<\/strong>, who was hired as OceanGate\u2019s engineering director in 2016, testified that his relationship with CEO Rush \u201csoured\u201d as the Titan neared completion in early 2018. He noted that the submersible was struck by lightning that year, compromising its experimental carbon fiber hull. Nissen was eventually fired.<\/p>\n

Former operations director David Lochridge<\/strong> testified that he had warned the U.S. Coast Guard that the Titan\u2019s carbon shell wasn\u2019t properly tested for deep-sea dives before his dismissal in 2018. He claimed that the \u201cwhole idea\u201d of OceanGate was \u201cto make money,\u201d with \u201cvery little in the way of science.\u201d After his firing, Lochridge was sued by OceanGate for revealing confidential information, to which he countersued for wrongful dismissal.<\/p>\n

Patrick Lahey<\/strong>, co-founder of rival Triton Submarines, expressed concerns to Rush about the Titan\u2019s design, particularly regarding the previous glass dome, emphasizing the need for proper certification.<\/p>\n

Steven Ross<\/strong>, a marine scientist and crew member on Dive 87 during the Titan\u2019s fourth mission in 2023, testified that a platform malfunction caused all five passengers to be thrown to the back of the submersible for at least an hour.<\/p>\n

Antonella Wilby<\/strong>, a former engineering contractor for OceanGate, stated that she considered alerting the board about a concerning incident during a dive on July 15, 2022. She recounted a debrief meeting where a customer reported hearing a loud bang \u201cas loud as an explosion\u201d upon resurfacing. Another employee warned her against speaking up, suggesting she risked legal action and accusing her of lacking an \u201cexplorer mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone should feel free to speak up about safety without fear of retribution, and that is not at all what I saw,\u201d Wilby said. \u201cI was entirely dismissed.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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