As a result of the disaster, according to the former scientific director of OceanGate, the firm that built the Titan sub, people were left “hanging upside down” and others grabbing on as other passengers “tumbled about” and the vessel crashed into bulkheading.
In addition, Steven Ross said he was unsure if the Titan’s hull had been examined for damage following the incident.
A US Coast Guard investigation is hearing testimony for two weeks about the experimental submersible’s fatal implosion in June 2023.
Days before its last excursion, Mr. Ross claimed that it took a support crew over an hour to remove the sub from the ocean following the malfunction.
A mission member on board the sub’s support ship earlier on Thursday gave an account of seeing the passengers and crew leave for the Titanic wreck in June, stating, “I saw five people smiling on the way to their journey.”
Testifying as a volunteer, Renata Rojas said, “That’s the memory I have; they were just happy to go.”
Before the sub started descending, Ms. Rojas, who was on a surface support vessel, reported that everything was “working very smoothly”.
