Co-founder of the company that owned Exploded experimental submarine The man, who is on his way to the wreck of the Titanic, is due to testify before the US Coast Guard on Monday as part of an investigation into the maritime disaster.
Businessman Guillermo Zohnlein founded Titan's owner OceanGate with Stockton Rush. 5 people died When the submarine imploded in June 2023.
The Coast Guard held a hearing earlier this month as part of a high-level investigation into the cause of the explosion.
Mr. Sonnlein left the Washington company several years ago but spoke out in the aftermath of the submarine explosion to defend the company's efforts. In his testimony, he is expected to offer insight into the company's inner workings.
The hearings begin on September 16, and some of the testimony has focused on the company's troubled nature. At the start of the hearing, Ocean Gate's former general manager of operations, David Lockridge, said he frequently clashed with Rush and felt the company was only interested in making money.
“The whole idea behind this company was to make money,” Lockridge testified. “There was very little science involved.”
Other witnesses scheduled to testify on Monday include Phil Brooks, Ocean Gate's former director of engineering, and Roy Thomas of the American Bureau of Shipping.
The hearing is set to continue until Friday, with more witnesses due to appear.
Lockridge and other witnesses said the troubled company Unconventional crafts The accident sparked a global debate about the future of civilian undersea exploration.
Coast Guard officials noted at the start of the hearing that the submarine had not been independently inspected, as is standard practice.
This, and Titan's unusual design, has brought it under scrutiny in the undersea exploration community.
Ocean Gate, based in Washington state, suspended operations after the explosion. The company currently has no full-time employees. Represented by a lawyer During the hearing.
During the submersible's final dive on June 18, 2023, the crew lost contact after exchanging text messages about Titan's depth and weight during the descent.
The support ship Polar Prince then repeatedly sent messages asking if the Titan's onboard display still showed the ship.
“All is well here,” one of the final messages sent by the Titan crew to the Polar Prince before the submersible exploded, according to a video reconstruction played earlier at the hearing.
After receiving reports that the submarine was delayed, rescue teams rushed ships, aircraft and other equipment to the area about 435 miles (700 km) south of St. John's, Newfoundland.
The wreckage of the Titan was later discovered on the ocean floor about 330 yards (300 meters) from the Titanic's bow, according to Coast Guard officials. No one on board survived.
Ocean Gate said it has cooperated fully with the Coast Guard and NTSB investigations since they began. The Titan has been sailing to the Titanic wreck site since 2021.
