It has also seen a former employee share the ‘first red flag’ she allegedly saw regarding the sub’s safety, with former OceanGate contractor Tym Catterson now having discussed his brief involvement with the Titan sub.
The Titan submersible (OceanGate/Becky Kagan Schott)He told those in Charlestown, South Carolina how he started to work for OceanGate as one of its contractors between 2003 to 2004.
Working for a range of companies, he has also worked with manned submersibles since the 1980s.
As reported by SkyNews, Catterson says that the first time he was called, the company had just purchased a submersible he had built and OceanGate were wanting him to come and explain the vessel to them.
While he had never piloted the Titan sub, Catterson claimed that he was aware it had not been classed.
He further said that there weren’t any other submersibles he’d worked on that hadn’t been classed.
According to Catterson, getting this done for a vessel is essentially ‘proof of due diligence’ and a third party’s opinion on its safety.
He added that it’s also one of the ways you can get insurance for subs.
OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush was one of the five on board the sub who died (BBC)The contractor said that his interactions with Rush about this were ‘usually rather short’.
He said: “I had explained this to him and I guess this wasn’t as big of a worry for him as it would be for most people. I said my piece and that’s as far as it went.”
Catterson also claimed that he'd witnessed a malfunction during an expedition in 2022, when the sub's crew dropped the weights to ascend but the mechanism wasn't working properly.
He said the Titan was 'coming up quite slow' and was going to be stuck at a depth between 1,500 and 1,200 metres, adding that the crew were prepared to use the emergency drop weight, however, it 'didn't completely release'.
Former finance and human resources director Bonnie Carl also claimed earlier that she'd stopped working for OceanGate in 2018 as their ‘attitude to safety’ made her want to leave.
She also claimed paperwork revealing the dome on the vessel was rated to be capable of reaching a depth of 1,300 metres (nowhere near enough needed to visit the Titanic’s wreck) was withheld.Featured Image Credit: Sky News/OceanGate/Becky Kagan Schott
Topics: Titanic, US News
Jess Battison
Published 20:26 16 Sep 2024 GMT+1
OceanGate ex-employee reveals 'first red flag' she spotted affecting safety of Titan sub
A hearing is now taking place following the Titan sub disaster
Jess Battison
A former OceanGate employee has revealed the ‘first red flag’ she spotted affecting the safety of the Titan submersible.
It’s been just over a year since disaster struck when five people journeyed deep underwater to visit the wreck of the Titanic.
The Titan sub had descended thousands of feet when contact was lost on 18 June 2023. Onboard the vessel were OceanGate's CEO Stockton Rush, British explorer Hamish Harding, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, and veteran French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
However, all five people died when the sub, in what was confirmed by the US Coast Guard, was destroyed by a ‘catastrophic implosion’.
And now, a hearing is being held by the US Coast Guard to 'uncover the facts surrounding the incident and develop recommendations to prevent similar tragedies in the future'.
Following the release of the first photo of the sub following the implosion and the final words from the Titan, an ex-employee has spoken about her alleged safety concerns ahead of the mission.
A picture of the Titan's wreckage was revealed during the hearing (Pelagic Research Services)Bonnie Carl joined OceanGate as a human resources and finance director.
She told the hearing that she was aware of a waiver people were required to sign before going on the sub, but claims she ‘never saw anyone sign anything’ as her job to get the money from customers was early on in the process.
Sky News reports her saying: “When I was taking money, we hadn’t even finished building the Titan.”
Not only was she a finance and human resources director, but she was also a 'pilot in training' – so she had conducted a dozen domestic dives in the vessel.
Carl alleged that there were ‘a couple of things that gave me pause’ regarding the sub’s safety.
Bonnie Carl. (Sky News)The ex-employee alleged the ‘first red flag’ was engineering director Tony Nissen not letting her see paperwork for the sub's acrylic dome.
Carl further claimed how an O ring groove on the Titan’s titanium also looked ‘odd’ to her.
With her experience as a scuba diver, she said that her questions about this spot weren’t ‘satisfactorily answered’.
In a later safety meeting, Carl claimed the paperwork kept from her revealed the dome was rated to be capable of reaching a depth of 1,300 metres.
Obviously, this is much, much less than what’s needed to reach the Titanic's wreck.
However, she claims this was why Nissen ‘didn’t want us to see it’.
Carl further said that she left the company in 2018 as OceanGate was not a place she ‘wanted to work if that was their attitude to safety’.
“I didn’t want to work for that company.” she added.Featured Image Credit: Sky News/OceanGate/Becky Kagan Schott
Topics: Titanic, US News
Jess Battison
Updated 20:23 8 Aug 2024 GMT+1Published 20:24 8 Aug 2024 GMT+1
Resurfaced audio shows CEO of Titan sub making damning joke before fatal disaster
Just months before his fateful expedition, Stockton Rush made an ill-timed joke
Joshua Nair
The CEO of OceanGate made a joke about the risks of diving down to the Titanic in his Titan submersible just months before the disaster claimed his life.
Stockton Rush was just 61-years-old when he and four others perished onboard the doomed sea craft as it set off on a near impossible journey.
A documentary made by ITN earlier this year, called The Titan Sub Disaster: Minute by Minute, includes previously unheard recordings from the search and rescue efforts for the submersible.
Banging noise from Titan sub search
Credit: Channel 5
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As well as that, it included a clip from a radio show with the OceanGate CEO, as he opened up on his upcoming journey to the infamous wreck of the Titanic.
The sub was destroyed by a fatal implosion on 18 June, 2023, caused by the extremely high water pressure and poor materials used to construct the sub, taking the lives of Rush and the four other people inside: British billionaire Hamish Harding, French maritime expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman.
Attention had been generated over the design of Titan in the years leading up to the journey, as many warned him that it could potentially be unsafe for those onboard.
In fact, an email from a former OceanGate employee expressed exactly that, as he was concerned about the sub's safety and Rush's views on the matter, which were ultimately ignored.
Ex-employee David Lochridge wrote: "I don’t want to be seen as a tattle tale but I’m so worried he kills himself and others in the quest to boost his ego.
The Titan submersible was ultimately doomed. (OceanGate/Becky Kagan Schott)"I would consider myself pretty ballsy when it comes to doing things that are dangerous, but that sub is an accident waiting to happen.
"There’s no way on earth you could have paid me to dive the thing."
The verdict came just days after Lochridge had reportedly inspected the submersible and found a plethora of concerns.
He had sent his concerns to OceanGate project associate Rob McCallum, though both had left the company due to safety concerns by the time of the Titan's ill-fated dive.
A few months before the Titan sub disaster, Rush had been speaking on Canadian radio station St John's Radio when he joked: "What could go wrong?"
A little over four months later contact would be lost with the Titan sub while he was on board, resulting in the deaths of all five on board following the 'catastrophic implosion'.
OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush was warned that the sub was an 'accident waiting to happen'. (OceanGate)A timeline of the Titan submersible disaster:
OceanGate's Titan submersible begins its descent
On 18 June, 2023, OceanGate Expedition's 21-foot submersible, named Titan, submerged at 8am E.T and began its tour to the wreckage of the Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
Five people were onboard the vessel with a 96-hour oxygen supply.
Who was onboard the Titan?
Onboard the vessel was OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, 61, British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58, Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, British-Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son Suleman.
The Titan loses contact with support vessel
The Polar Prince loses contact with the Titan around one hour and 45 minutes into its descent.
A few hours after the submersible was supposed to resurface, the US Coast Guard received a report of an overdue submersible.
The sub had imploded due to the high water pressure. (OceanGate/Becky Kagan Schott)Search operation is launched
The US Coast Guard launch a large-scale operation on 19 June, 2023, when the vessel fails to resurface or make contact almost 24 hours on.
'Banging noises' are detected
Two days on from the Titan's disappearance on 21 June, 2023, sonar crews taking part in the search pick up 'banging noises', giving false hope that the passengers are still alive.
The Titan's oxygen supply 'runs out'
At 1pm E.T on 22 June, 2023, the submersible's 96-hour oxygen supply is predicted to have ran out, cementing fears for the crew onboard.
A 'debris field' is discovered, leading to the realisation of a 'catastrophic implosion'
The US Coast Guard confirms the Titan was destroyed by a ‘catastrophic implosion’ - a result of both enormous water pressure and failed materials - with the loss of all five people aboard.
The Titan Sub Disaster: Minute by Minute will continue at 9pm tonight (7 March) on Channel 5.Featured Image Credit: OceanGate/Becky Kagan Schott / OceanGate
Topics: Titanic, Titan Submersible, World News, News
Joshua Nair
Updated 08:53 16 Sep 2024 GMT+1Published 08:50 16 Sep 2024 GMT+1
New ‘critical’ information could be revealed over deaths of five people killed on doomed Titan sub mission in major investigation
An investigation into the five people who died in the Titan sub disaster is underway
Anish Vij
New information could be revealed over the deaths of the five people who were killed in the Titan submersible disaster.
OceanGate's expedition was meant to take the five men to the wreck of the Titanic on 18 June, 2023.
However, the vessel lost contact just an hour and 45 minutes into the two-hour descent around 435 miles south of St John’s, Newfoundland.
Banging noise from Titan sub search
Credit: Channel 5
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The wreckage of the sub was found days later as the passengers were named as OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, 61, British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58, Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son Suleman.
Following the tragedy, OceanGate confirmed last July that it had 'suspended all exploration and commercial operations'.
The Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation announced that a new public hearing regarding the deaths will open in South Carolina, US, today (16 September).
24 witnesses will come forward over the next two weeks, including former executives of OceanGate and technical experts.
An investigation has been launched after five men were killed Titan submersible disaster (PA)Ahead of the hearing, the chairman of the Titan Marine Board of Investigation, Jason Neubauer, said on Sunday (15 September): "Over the past 15 months, our team has worked continuously, in close co-ordination with multiple federal agencies, international partners and industry experts to uncover the facts surrounding this incident.
"These proceedings are not just a formality.
"They are a critical step in our mission to understand the contributing factors that led to the incident and, more importantly, the actions needed to prevent a similar occurrence.
"We are charged to also detect misconduct or negligence by credentialed mariners, and if there’s any detection of a criminal act, we can make a recommendation to the Department of Justice."
On what they investigating, the United States Coast Guard added: "Following completion of the evidence gathering phase of the investigation, including the public hearings, the Board will carefully evaluate all evidence to determine, as closely as possible the cause of the incident.
The vessel lost contact just an hour and 45 minutes into the two-hour descent (PA)"Whether there is evidence that any failure of material (either physical or design) was involved or contributed to the incident, so that proper recommendations for the prevention of the recurrence of similar incidents may be made.
"Whether there is evidence that any act of misconduct, inattention to duty, negligence or wilful violation of the law on the part of any licensed or certificated person contributed to the incident so that appropriate proceedings against the license or certificate of such person may be recommended and taken under 46 U.S.C. 6301 [Investigation of marine casualties].
"Or whether there is evidence that any Coast Guard personnel or any representative or employee of any other government agency, or any other person, caused or contributed to the cause of the incident."
After the hearing, 'the Board will evaluate all evidence and testimony to prepare a final report'.
A timeline of the Titan submersible disaster:
The Titan loses contact with support vessel
The Polar Prince loses contact with the Titan around one hour and 45 minutes into its descent on 18 June. A few hours after the submersible was supposed to resurface, the US Coast Guard received a report of an overdue submersible.
Search operation is launched
The US Coast Guard launch a large-scale operation on 19 June, 2023, when the vessel fails to resurface or make contact almost 24 hours on.
'Banging noises' are detected
Two days on from the Titan's disappearance on 21 June, 2023, sonar crews taking part in the search pick up 'banging noises', giving false hope that the passengers are still alive.
The Titan's oxygen supply 'runs out'
At 1pm E.T on 22 June, 2023, the submersible's 96-hour oxygen supply is predicted to have ran out, cementing fears for the crew onboard.
A 'debris field' is discovered, leading to the realisation of a 'catastrophic implosion'
The US Coast Guard confirms the Titan was destroyed by a ‘catastrophic implosion’ - a result of both enormous water pressure and failed materials - with the loss of all five people aboard.Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: Titan Submersible, Titanic, UK News, World News
Anish Vij
Published 08:03 3 Jun 2024 GMT+1
Inside billionaire’s Triton sub that will dive to Titanic wreck one year after OceanGate disaster
You've got to be flipping kidding me with that name...
Joe Harker
Almost a year after the Titan sub disaster, which saw an OceanGate vessel be destroyed while diving down to the wreck of the Titanic, a billionaire has said he wants to give it another shot with his own submersible.
Five lives were lost on 18 June last year when the OceanGate sub imploded, and in the days that followed there was an extensive search operation in the hopes that the Titan had simply lost power and the men on board were still alive.
Banging noise from Titan sub search
Credit: Channel 5
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However, debris was discovered and the hope of finding anyone alive soon evaporated, while a number of people came forward to say they'd had safety concerns about the sub which were ignored.
Studies and analysis into what happened to the Titan have helped paint a clearer picture of how the disaster unfolded.
However, now it sounds like somebody else wants to have a go at taking a submersible down to the wreck of the Titanic.
American billionaire Larry Connor has put $20 million (£15.7 million) into his company Triton Submarines to make him a vessel that could get down to the Titanic safely.
Where the Titan eventually failed after several trips, the Triton is aiming to succeed and I know what you're thinking about the name but the company was founded in 2008.
It's been almost a year since the doomed Titan sub was destroyed. (Becky Kagan Schott/OceanGate)Connor told the Wall Street Journal why he was doing all of this, saying: "I want to show people worldwide that while the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life-changing if you go about it the right way."
As for the vessel itself, it's called the Triton 4000/2 Abyssal Explorer and that number is for how many metres under the sea it's safe to dive down to.
The wreck of the Titanic is 3,800 metres down, while the destroyed OceanGate sub was only certified for 1,300 metres.
Triton Submarines told The Independent that they were planning the dive for some time in 2026, and that they weren't planning on making a commercial venture out of trips to the Titanic.
This sub is for two people only, and is actually certified to dive down to the Titanic. (Triton Submarines)The sub is meant to be flexible, with retractable gull wings that can come out if needed.
Connor said that the technology for such a vessel didn't exist five years ago, with the billionaire saying 'we didn’t have the materials and technology' to make it before.
So what does James Cameron think of all this?
The Titanic director is something of an expert on submersibles, as many discovered during the Titan sub disaster, and it turns out that he's actually worked with Triton, so they presumably get his endorsement.Featured Image Credit: Triton Submarines Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
