A hearing looking into what caused the fatal disaster began today (September 16)
The last words heard from the crew of an experimental submersible heading for the wreck of the Titanic have been revealed.
The US coast guard presented the animation on Monday (September 16) on the first day of what is expected to be a two-week hearing on the causes of the implosion and if any criminal activity led to the tragedy.
British adventurer Hamish Harding and father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood died, alongside OceanGate Expeditions’ chief executive Stockton Rush and Frenchman Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
Mr Dawood was a London-based businessman and adviser to the King’s charity Prince’s Trust International, with a focus on its work in Pakistan.
His 19-year-old son was a student at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.
The crew aboard the Titan were communicating with support staff aboard the Polar Prince by text messages, according to the presentation.
The last words from the vessel’s crew were ‘all good’.
The crew lost contact after an exchange of repeated inquiries from the Polar Prince about the submersible’s depth and weight as it descended.
The Titan submersible (PA)
An image of the submarine was also shown, with the Titan ship’s tail seen stuck vertically on the seabed.
The images were taken by a remotely operated vehicle on June 22, 2023.
The Titan imploded just days before the images were taken, setting off a worldwide debate about the future of private undersea exploration.
The aim of the hearing in Charleston County, South Carolina, is to ‘uncover the facts surrounding the incident and develop recommendations to prevent similar tragedies in the future’, the coast guard said in a statement earlier this month.
The ongoing Marine Board of Investigation is the highest level of marine casualty investigation conducted by the coast guard. When the hearing concludes, recommendations will be submitted to the coast guard’s commandant.
The first image of the Titan after its implosion (Pelagic Research Services)
“There are no words to ease the loss endured by the families impacted by this tragic incident,” said Jason Neubauer of the Coast Guard Office of Investigations.
“But we hope that this hearing will help shed light on the cause of the tragedy and prevent anything like this from happening again.”
According to MailOnline, ten former OceanGate employees will give testimony in the hearing.
While questions remain about the safety of such deep sea explorations, earlier this year billionaire Larry Connor asked for another similar sub to the Titan to be built so he can visit the wreckage of the Titanic himself.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal in May, Connor said: “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.”
His plans may change when the current hearing concludes in two-weeks time, however.
