Hearing for imploded Titan submersible happening in North Charleston, Coast Guard says

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Over a year after the Titan submersible imploded near the site of the shipwrecked Titanic, the U.S. Coast Guard set public hearing dates to determine why the vessel failed for September in North Charleston.

The eight-day hearing will begin Sept. 16 at 8:30 a.m. at the Charleston County Council Chambers at 4045 Bridge View Drive.

The Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) will examine everything related to the Titan’s loss, including pre-accident historical events, regulatory compliance, crewmember duties, emergency response, the submersible industry, and mechanical and structural systems.

Coast Guard officials say an MBI is the top level of investigation in the Coast Guard. When the investigation is complete, the Board will issue a report that includes all evidence collected, facts established, conclusions, and recommendations.

The hearings will begin at 8:30 a.m. on the following dates:

• Monday, September 16
• Tuesday, September 17
• Thursday, September 19
• Friday, September 20
• Monday, September 23
• Tuesday, September 24
• Wednesday, September 25
• Thursday, September 26
• Friday, September 27 (if required)

OceanGate Expeditions created and operated the Titan which was formerly called Cyclops 2. The company has suspended all explorations and commercial operations, according to its website.

The implosion of the vessel resulted in the deaths of five individuals, including the death of pilot Stockton Rush, who was the CEO of OceanGate. Others who perished were Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, members of a notable Pakistani family. British explorer Hamish Harding and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet were also killed.

Authorities lost contact with the vessel one hour and forty-seven minutes into its journey on Sunday, June 18, 2023. “The Coast Guard, along with other agencies, international partners, and private entities, conducted an extensive search operation,” officials said.

Search parties found the Titan wreckage on the ocean floor, about 300 meters away from the bow of the Titanic and 900 nautical miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

OceanGate began documenting the Titanic’s decay and the ecosystem that sprung up around it, with annual voyages starting in 2021.

In a memorandum written by Vice Admiral Peter W. Gautier, Gautier said the hearing board will be made up of the following parties:

• CAPT Jason Neubauer, USCG, Chairman
• LCDR Thomas Whalen, USCG, Member
• LCDR Kathryn Williams, USCG, Technical Advisor
• Marcos Dejesus, USCG, Technical Advisor
• LCDR Lars Okmark, USCG, Legal Counsel
• LT Kelly Steele, Record

The National Transportation Safety Board must also determine what caused the Titan’s collapse and can decide to appoint a representative to sit on the hearing board.