The U.S. Coast Guard has published its final report on the June 2023 implosion of OceanGate's Titan submersible, which resulted in the deaths of five individuals during a deep-sea expedition to the Titanic wreck. The comprehensive 335-page report was made public on Tuesday, nearly a year after the Coast Guard's Marine Board of Investigation conducted a two-week hearing to examine the incident.

During the September 2024 hearing, the board heard from over two dozen witnesses, including former OceanGate employees. Among the victims was Stockton Rush, the co-founder and CEO of OceanGate. The primary goal of the hearing was to investigate the circumstances surrounding the implosion, focusing on the submersible's design, operation, and safety protocols. The board aimed to identify the cause of the incident and to propose recommendations to prevent future tragedies. Additionally, the investigation sought to determine if there was any evidence of misconduct, negligence, or regulatory violations.

Prior to the report's release, the Coast Guard indicated that the Marine Board of Investigation was in the final stages of its analysis, which is part of a probe that has lasted over two years. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is also conducting its own investigation into the implosion, which remains ongoing.

The five individuals who lost their lives included French explorer Paul Henri Nargeolet, British businessman Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his 19-year-old son, Suleman. Following the incident, OceanGate suspended all exploration and commercial operations.

The Coast Guard's hearing revealed one of the last messages sent from the Titan to the surface vessel Polar Prince as it descended toward the ocean floor. The Titan communicated, "All good here," at approximately 2,274 meters. The final message, sent at around 3,341 meters, indicated, "Dropped two wts," referring to the dropping of weights. Communication was lost shortly after at 3,346 meters.

During the hearing, Jason Neubauer, chair of the Marine Board of Investigation, noted that the master of the Polar Prince reported feeling the ship "shudder" around the time communications were lost. The Coast Guard also presented footage showing Titan debris, including the tail cone and hull remnants, located about 500 meters from the Titanic's bow after a four-day search.

David Lochridge, former director of marine operations for OceanGate, testified about his concerns regarding the Titan's carbon fiber hull, stating, "I knew that hull would fail. It's an absolute mess." He criticized the company for prioritizing profit over scientific research and claimed that Rush preferred to operate on a limited budget.

The hearing revisited various issues with the Titan, including a 2022 incident where thruster controls malfunctioned, causing the vessel to spin at the Titanic's depth. Although the pilot managed to regain control, a loud bang was reported during another dive that year, which altered the hull's strain response in subsequent dives, according to NTSB officials.

In the weeks leading up to the implosion, the Titan partially sank after encountering rough seas and fog. Days before the incident, passengers experienced a jarring resurfacing due to a platform malfunction. Concerns were also raised about towing the submersible on open seas when it switched to using the Polar Prince in 2023. The Coast Guard reported that the Titan had 70 equipment issues in 2021 and 48 more in 2022, although it had completed 13 successful dives to the Titanic wreck before the fatal implosion.