Monday was the first day of a hearing, expected to last two weeks, looking into the implosion of the Titan submersible.
One of the final messages from the Titan submersible crew said they were “all good here” before it imploded, killing all five on board.
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.
The five of them had been communicating with the Polar Prince support ship by text message, according to an animation presented by the US Coast Guard, shown on the first day of a hearing looking into the implosion.
The crew began to lose contact with those aboard the Polar Prince who repeatedly asked about the submersible’s depth and weight as it descended toward the wreck of the Titanic.
The Polar Prince also repeatedly asked if the Titan could still see the ship on its onboard display.
One of the Titan’s final responses, which became spotty as it descended deeper, was “all good here”.
The submersible made its final dive on 18 June 2023, losing contact with its support ship around two hours later.
Rescuers rushed ships, planes, and other equipment to an area around 435 miles (700km) south of St John’s, Newfoundland.
The search for the Titan attracted global attention and the wreckage was eventually found on the ocean floor around 300m from the Titanic wreckage, according to officials.
‘Uncover the facts’
The hearing in Charleston County, South Carolina, is expected to last two weeks.
It aims to “uncover the facts surrounding the incident and develop recommendations to prevent similar tragedies in the future”.