Shocking new footage of Titan sub shows extent of damage as front of imploded vessel is revealed
Footage of the Titan submersible's wreckage has been revealed in a hearing, showing the remains of the front of the vessel.
A public hearing investigating the implosion of OceanGate's Titan submersible started this week (September 16).
The tragedy - which occurred in June 2023 - took the lives of five people, British adventurer Hamish Harding, father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, OceanGate's CEO Stockton Rush and French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
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The hearing, presented by the US Coast Guard, aims to 'examine all aspects of the loss of the Titan, including pre-accident historical events, regulatory compliance, crewmember duties and qualifications, mechanical and structural systems, emergency response and the submersible industry'.
It is expected to last two weeks with all evidence being put forward, including new footage of what remained of the sub following the implosion.
It shows debris which looks to be the sub's door and front porthole at the bottom of the ocean.
As well as these harrowing images, texts between the those onboard the sub and its support ship have been recovered.
It appears that some of the final messages exchanged between the two suggested that the crew was 'all good'.
The US Coast Guard previously released a clip showing what was left of the submersible, dating back to June 22, 2023.
It was described by some as 'haunting' as it shows the tail cone of the sub standing in the seabed.
The video was taken 3,775 meters below the water's surface, and the visible damage was notable.
One particularly chilling angle displayed the OceanGate logo on the side of the tail cone still visible.
Throughout the hearing, 24 witnesses will give evidence, ten of whom appear to be former employees of OceanGate.
David Lochridge is one of those people, and claims to have raised safety concerns about the sub, even stating he was 'very vocal' about it.
He claimed that OceanGate was aware of his views on the submersible, and would not allow him to attend board meetings in fear that he would speak out.
Speaking at day two of the hearing, Lochridge claimed that he was 'dismissed on every single occasion' when presenting his concerns.
Many people have watched the newly released footage of the wreckage, and have noted how sad the reality really is.
"This is so freaking haunting," someone penned on YouTube.
Another added: "Eerie the OceanGate logo is still legible."
Titan sub inquiry - everything we know from the investigation so far
A public hearing into the five deaths of the people onboard OceanGate's ill-fated Titan submersible began on Monday (16 September).
It is expected to last two weeks.
Titan was 'unregistered, non-certificated and unclassed'
The first day of the hearing heard how the submersible was built in 2020 and was 'unregistered, non-certificated and unclassed', as well as having no identification number.
The submersible's hull was never subject to third-party checks and officials said it was left exposed to the elements while in storage for seven months in 2022 and 2023.
Parts of Titan 'bonded together using an adhesive'
In 2017, the year OceanGate announced it would be conducting trips to the Titanic, employees bonded together the submersible's carbon fibre hull and titanium rings 'using an adhesive'.
Titan found 'partially sunk' month before tragedy
During its 2023 expedition, the Titan was found 'partially sunk' in the ocean.
Image released of Titan debris on sea floor
An image showing debris, including the Titan's tail cone, on the sea floor after the implosion was revealed.
One of the last texts from submersible revealed
One of Titan’s final responses was revealed to be: "All good here."
Titan 'struck by lightning'
Tony Nissen, OceanGate Expeditions’ former engineering director, testified that the Titan was hit by lightning during a test mission in 2018.
Nissen, who was allegedly fired in 2019 after not letting the submersible go to the Titanic, told OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush it was 'not working like we thought it would'.
When asked to pilot the submersible, Nissen said: “I’m not getting in it.”
Titan engineer 'felt pressure to get submersible ready for wreck dive'
When asked if there was pressure to get the Titan into the water, Nissen replied: “100%.”
Waivers
While Bonnie Carl, OceanGate's former human resources and finance director, said she was aware of a waiver people had to sign, she testified she 'never saw anyone sign anything'.
"When I was taking money, we hadn't even finished building the Titan," Carl claimed.
Whistleblower says implosion was 'inevitable'
Former employee of OceanGate David Lochridge gave evidence on Tuesday (17 September) and revealed how he warned of potential safety problems with the vessel as far back as 2018, which he says were ignored.
Lochridge, who was fired from the company in 2018, told investigators that it was 'inevitable' something would eventually go wrong, and when asked if he had any confidence in the way Titan was being built, he stated: "No confidence whatsoever, and I was very vocal about that, and still am."
"A lot of steps along the way were missed," Lochridge added. "I knew that hull would fail. It's an absolute mess."
He also criticised the 'arrogance' within the company, along with the 'control freak' tendencies of Stockton Rush.
Topics: Technology, US News, World News, Titan submersible
Mia Williams