US Coast Guard releases new details about final moments on board as hearing begins into cause of disaster
The final words of the crew of the experimental submarine heading for the wreck of Titan included the words, “All’s well here.” A visual recreation of the Titan’s voyage before the implosion, which killed all five crew members.
The US Coast Guard released the animation on Monday on the first day of hearings expected to last two weeks into the cause of the implosion. According to the presentation, Titan’s crew communicated by text message with the crew of the support vessel Polar Prince.
The crew received text messages about the depth and weight of the submarine during its descent, then lost contact. Polar Prince then repeatedly sent messages asking if Titan could still see the ship on its onboard displays. One of Titan’s final responses, which grew increasingly vague as it descended, was “Everything’s fine here.”
Titan imploded on June 18, 2023, sparking a global debate about the future of civilian underwater exploration.
The submarine was exposed to the elements during its seven months of storage in 2022 and 2023, Coast Guard officials said in initial comments. It also never underwent a third-party inspection of the hull, a standard procedure. This and its unconventional design exposed Titan to intense scrutiny from the underwater exploration community.
The first witness at the hearing, Tony Nissen, former technical director of the company that owned Titan, testified that he felt pressured to launch operations during his time with the company. When asked if there was pressure to launch Titan, he answered, “100%.”
The maritime authority also asked Nissen if he felt pressure from Ocean Gate co-founder Stockton Rush influenced safety decisions and testing. After a long silence, he replied, “No… that’s a hard question, because if you have infinite time and infinite budget, you can do infinite testing.”
Nissen also said Titan was struck by lightning during a test mission in 2018, which could have damaged the hull. He was fired in 2019, but said he refused to sail a submarine to the Titanic that same year.
He also said that Rush the Titan “wouldn’t work the way we thought it would.” The former technical director said the submarine then underwent further testing and adjustments before making further dives into the Titanic.
But he said he didn’t trust the piloting staff, testifying that when Stockton asked him to pilot the submarine, he replied, “I’m not in it.” Nissen testified about issues such as the project’s schedule. He said Rush would fight for what he wanted, which often changed from day to day.
He added that he tried to keep his clashes with Rush behind closed doors so that others in the company would not be aware.
“Most people will end up driving back to Stockton,” he said.
The ongoing Coast Guard Board of Investigation is the highest level of maritime accident investigation. A recommendation will be made to the branch chief at the conclusion of the hearings. The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating.
Jason Neubauer of the Coast Guard’s Office of Investigation, who chaired the hearing, said “there are no words that can ease the loss suffered by the families in this tragic incident.” “But we hope this hearing will shed light on the causes of the tragedy and ensure something like this never happens again.” Other scheduled speakers included the company’s former financial officers Bonnie Karl and Tim Catterson.
Some key Ocean Gate officials are not scheduled to testify, including Mr. Rush’s widow, Wendy Rush, who was the company’s communications director.
The Coast Guard doesn’t comment on why specific individuals aren’t called to specific hearings during an ongoing investigation, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Melissa Leake. He said it is common for maritime investigation boards to “hold multiple hearings and/or take additional witness statements in complex cases.”
Subsequent hearings will include Ocean Gate co-founder Guillermo Thornlein, former chief operating officer David Rocheridge and former chief scientific officer Steve Ross, according to a list compiled by the Coast Guard. Numerous security officials, scientists and government and industry representatives are also scheduled to testify. Leake said the Coast Guard called witnesses who are not public officials.
Ocean Gate currently has no full-time employees, but will be represented by lawyers at the hearings, the company said in a statement. The company said in a statement that it has cooperated fully with the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board since their investigation began.
The implosion also killed veteran Titanic explorer Paul-Henri Narziolet, two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and her 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood, and British adventurer Hamish Harding.
The Titan lost contact with its escort vessels about two hours after its final dive. When it was reported to be delayed in arriving, rescuers moved boats, planes and other equipment to an area about 700 kilometers south of St. John’s, Newfoundland.
As it became increasingly unlikely that anyone had survived the implosion, the search for the submarine attracted worldwide attention. The wreckage of the Titanic was later found on the ocean floor about 1,000 feet (300 meters) from the Titanic’s bow, according to Coast Guard officials.
The initial investigation was scheduled to take a year, but the investigation took longer. The Coast Guard said in July that the hearings would look into “all aspects of the Titan’s sinking,” including both mechanical considerations and crew compliance and qualifications.
Titan has been making journeys to the Titanic’s sinking site since 2021.