Coast Guard inquiry into the Titan implosion resumes with new witness, OceanGate competitor
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Friday’s Titan Marine Board of Investigation public hearing will feature a newly added witness, according to a late-night post from the Coast Guard.
For day four, Former OceanGate Mission Specialist Fred Hagen, University of Washington Applied Physics Lab employee Dave Dyer, Triton Submarines employee Patrick Lahey, and Former OceanGate Contractor Antonella Wilby are on the schedule.
Thursday featured emotional testimony from a former OceanGate dive passenger whose recounting of an incident differed from the former OceanGate Marine Operations Director’s recounting.
Former operation’s chief David Lochridge ripped into late OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, calling him a “control freak” and describing numerous safety violations by his former boss.
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8:58 a.m.
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8:57 a.m.
Hagen said OceanGate was not supposed to take mission specialist on the 2021 dive due to a previous issue on another dive, but Hagen persisted and Rush allowed him to go.
8:55 a.m.
Hagen was on two dives that actually ascended, he testified. He said there was a “plethora” of planning meetings scheduled throughout the day.
8:54 a.m.
One of Hagen’s jobs was data collection. He was given a list of items to track on the expedition. He also had to perform a safety watch.
8:52 a.m.
Hagen said he does recognize the mission specialist job description sheet.
8:51 a.m.
Hagen performed tasks such as cleaning inside and outside the sub, helping with the oil filled housings and others OceanGate thought were appropriate. He called the tasks he performed “menial.”
8:49 a.m.
Mission specialists are not qualified in any way other than payment, Hagen testifies. As a mission specialist he was both a crew member and passenger. He was allowed to participate in the mission such as tightening bolts on the dome, but not he qualified as critical, he said.
8:47 a.m.
Hagen found out about the 2021 Titanic expedition on the Titan and approached Lochridge saying he wanted to be on the mission.
8:46 a.m.
Hagen called to the stand and asked to go into detail about his professional background
