Steven Ross, the former scientific director of OceanGate, testified before a U.S. Coast Guard panel on Thursday about a malfunction that occurred on the Titan submersible just days before its fatal implosion. The malfunction caused passengers to “tumble about” and took an hour to resolve. Ross also revealed that the company’s co-founder and pilot, Stockton Rush, crashed into bulkheading during the incident.
Despite the prior malfunction, another OceanGate employee, Renata Rojas, testified that she felt competent people staffed the company and that she never felt unsafe during operations.
She described her colleagues as “very hardworking individuals that were just trying to make dreams come true.”
Read: Family Of Explorer Killed In Titan Sub Implosion Files $50 Million+ Wrongful Death Lawsuit
However, earlier witnesses at the hearing, including former OceanGate operations director David Lochridge, described the company as troubled and focused more on profit than safety. Lochridge testified that he frequently clashed with Rush and felt the company was committed only to making money.
The Coast Guard hearing is part of a high-level investigation into the cause of the Titan’s implosion, which killed all five people on board, including Rush. The hearing has focused on problems the company had prior to the fatal 2023 dive, and investigators have released underwater footage of the submersible wreck.
Read: OceanGate Titan Debris Found 1,600 Feet From Titanic Bow After ‘Catastrophic’ Implosion
The deadly accident has sparked a worldwide debate about the future of private undersea exploration, and OceanGate has suspended its operations since the implosion.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Android Users: Download our free app to stay up-to-date on the latest news.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.