OceanGate co-owner to testify to Coast Guard Monday about Titan submersible disaster

ဣThe co-founder of the company that owned the  en route to the wreckage of the Titanic is scheduled to testify before the U.S. Coast Guard on Monday as part of its investigation of the maritime disaster.

Businessman Guillermo Sohnlein founded Titan owner OceanGate with Stockton Rush, who was among the  when the submersible imploded i♔n June 2023.

The Coast Guard opened a public hearing earlier🍸 this month that is part of a high level investigation intoဣ the cause of the implosion.

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Sohnlein left the Washington company years ܫago, but in the aftermath of the submersible’s implosion, he spoke in defense of its efforts. In his testimo♛ny, he is expected to provide perspective into the company’s inner workings.

The public hearing began ▨Sept. 16 and some of the testimony has focused on the troubled nature of the company. Earlier in the hearing, former OceanGate operations director David Lo🐓chridge said he frequently clashed with Rush and felt the company was committed only to making money.“

The whole idea behin𝕴d the company was to make money,” Loc🎐hridge testified. “There was very little in the way of science.”

Other♉ witnesses expected to testify Monday include former OceanGate engineering director Phil Brooks and Roy Thomas of the American Bureau of Shipping.

The hearing is expected to run through Friday 📖a𓃲nd include more witnesses.

Lochridge and other witnesses have painted a picture of a troubled company that was impatient to get its  into the water. The accident set off a worldwide debate about the future of private undersea exploratio🐬n.

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Coast Guard officials noted at⭕ the start of the hearing that the submersible had not been independentl⛄y reviewed, as is standard practice.

That and Titan’s unusual design subjected it to scrutiny in the unders🐟ea exploration community.

OceanGate, based in Washington state, suspended its operations after the implosion. The company has no full-time employees currently, but has been  dur🍸ing the hearing.

During the submersible’s final dive on June 18, 2023, the crew lost contact after an exchange of texts about Tita🧜n’s depth and weight 🤡as it descended.

The support ship Polar Prince then sent repeated messages asking if Tita🀅n could still see the ship on its onboard disp🔯lay.

One of the last messages from Titan’s crew to Polar Prince before the submersible imploded stated, “all good here,” according to a visual re-creation presentᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚed earli𝔉er in the hearing.

When the submersible was reported overdue, rescuers rushed ships, planes and other equipment to an area about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of S�ꦿ�t. John’s, Newfoundland.

Wreckage of the Titan wa🌃s subsequently found on the ocean floor about 330 yards (300 meters) off the bow of the Titanic, Coast Guard officials said. No one on board survived.

OceanGate said it has been fully cooperating with the Coast Guard and 💞NTSB investigations since they began. Titan had been making voyages to the Titanic wreckage site going back to 2021.