World
September 20, 2024 19:46
netherlands - Former OceanGate scientific director testifies that the Titan submarine had a malfunction days before the fatal implosion, causing passengers to be shaken up.
The Titan submarine became uncontrollable due to a malfunction, as former OceanGate scientific director Dr. Steven Ross revealed. "It was a few days before the fatal implosion," Ross testified as part of a coast guard investigation into the submarine accident.
Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate, was also on board during the malfunction. He later perished in the Titan implosion. Ross told officials that a few days before the submarine imploded during the Titanic expedition, passengers were shaken up during a malfunction. The submarine's pilot at the time, OceanGate co-founder Stockton Rush, "collided with a bulkhead."
Regarding the mission, Ross said: "The rest of the passengers were falling all over each other. One passenger was hanging upside down. The other two aboard managed to cling to the bow dome."
Ross stated that he does not know if an assessment of the Titan's hull was conducted after the incident. Businessman Rush, who perished in the submarine accident, had been warned multiple times about safety risks prior to the June 18th expedition last year, according to a former OceanGate executive.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported during the hearing that "the aft dome, the aft ring, remnants of the hull, and carbon fiber debris" were visible in the chilling images of the wreckage. Mission specialist Renata Rojas also addressed the panel, reportedly breaking down in tears as she described the loss of lives and acknowledging the risks of the expedition.
Ross's testimony follows damning revelations from OceanGate's former operations director David Lochridge earlier this week. Lochridge expressed shock at the discrepancies in the Titan's windows and dome ceilings from standard designs, describing the hull as "porous paper."
Whistleblower Lochridge claimed that he had warned OceanGate about safety issues before being dismissed in 2018. The company sued him for disclosing confidential information, while he filed a wrongful termination suit. Lochridge criticized OceanGate for prioritizing profit over safety concerns, stating that the company lacked scientific rigor.
Owner of another dive company, Rob McCallum, emphasized the importance of managing risks responsibly, in contrast to OceanGate's alleged negligence. Rush accused safety advocates of hindering innovation and defended the design of the Titan submarine.
Prior to the fatal implosion, passenger Hamish Harding posted on Facebook about the expedition to the Titanic in 2023, highlighting the harsh conditions and the planned dive. Tragically, the mission ended in disaster, with all five occupants – including Harding and OceanGate co-founder Rush – losing their lives.