Titan sub hearing live: OceanGate volunteer said nobody was concerned until sub ‘was really overdue’ from dive

The US Coast Guard’s hearing on the Titanic submersible tragedy has concluded for the day and will resume at 8.30am on Friday.

Steven Ross says that he once asked Stockton Rush how long the Titan would be good for until it needed refurbishments. Typically, subs need to be refurbished after a certain number of dives because of the pressures at deep levels.

But, Rush told Ross he thought his design would be good for “indefinite” trips to the Titanic wreckage.

Testimony from the former scientific director is vague. He is avoiding giving direct answers to questions presented to him by the panel.

During one dive Ross was on, the platform malfunctioned.

Five people were inside the Titan and the seas were not calm. It took an hour to let those on board get out of the water.

“There’s nothing to hold onto inside the submersible really. It’s a fairly smooth tube,” he said.

“The pilot crashed into the rear bulkhead. The rest of the passengers tumbled about. I ended up standing on the rear bulkhead. One passenger was hanging upside down. The other two managed to wedge themselves into the bow end cap.”

He spoke to Stockton Rush about the issue, but could not recall OceanGate conducting an assessment of the Titan hull after the incident.

During one OceanGate dive, the crew heard a “loud noise” that the crew speculated came from the shifting of the pressure steel its metal cradle when it popped back into place.

During most of his scientific career, the focus on expeditions primarily focused on science, but Ross says OceanGate had “multiple agendas,” notably going to see the Titanic shipwreck.

Dr Stephen Ross is currently describing his background and his role working with the company.

Renata Rojas, a mission specialist went to see the Titanic. She said it had been her dream as a child to see the wreckage. She visited it with OceanGate in 2021.