A mission specialist for the company that owned the Titan submersible, which imploded in 2023, is scheduled to testify before the U.S. Coast Guard on Thursday. This comes after two days of testimony that raised questions about the operations of OceanGate, the owner of the ill-fated submersible.
Renata Rojas is the latest individual connected to OceanGate to testify, following the tragic incident that claimed the lives of five people, including OceanGate co-founder Stockton Rush.
The Coast Guard initiated a public hearing earlier this month as part of a high-level investigation into the cause of the implosion. Testimony during the hearing has shed light on the troubled nature of OceanGate, with former company officials expressing concerns about the company's priorities.
Former OceanGate operations director David Lochridge testified that the company seemed primarily focused on profit rather than scientific exploration. Lochridge and other witnesses have described a sense of urgency within the company to deploy the Titan submersible despite concerns about its design and safety.
Additional testimony is expected from former OceanGate scientific director Steven Ross as the hearing continues through Friday, with more witnesses yet to come.
The submersible's final dive on June 18, 2023, ended tragically when contact was lost with the crew. The support ship Polar Prince received a final message indicating that all was well before the submersible imploded.
Following the incident, search and rescue efforts were launched, leading to the discovery of the Titan wreckage on the ocean floor near the Titanic site. Unfortunately, no survivors were found.
OceanGate, which has suspended its operations since the implosion, has been cooperating with the Coast Guard and NTSB investigations. The company, based in Washington state, had been conducting voyages to the Titanic wreckage site since 2021.
