Who are the witnesses on day 3 of the Titan disaster hearing? Jameson Moyer — WCBD News 2

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)— Following the Wednesday break from the Coast Guard’s inquiry into the 2023 Titan tragedy, a former OceanGate dive passenger and ex-scientific director are scheduled to testify when the hearing resumes Thursday. But who are they? OceanGate Mission Specialist Renata Rojas had been down to the Titanic wreck with the company before, […]

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)— Following the Wednesday break from the Coast Guard’s inquiry into the 2023 Titan tragedy, a former OceanGate dive passenger and ex-scientific director are scheduled to testify when the hearing resumes Thursday. But who are they? 

OceanGate Mission Specialist Renata Rojas had been down to the Titanic wreck with the company before, according to her X account. Rojas is a diver who had dreamed all her life of seeing the Titanic remains, she told BBC.

She explained to the British media outlet that she had saved for more than 30 years, going without a car, marriage, children, and other choices to save for her dream. The passenger cost to take the dive on Titan that imploded was $250,000.

Video from the dive Rojas went on shows her in tears at the site of the Titanic’s debris field.

What is a mission specialist though?

According to a job description sheet from OceanGate, the mission specialist had duties relating to numerous parts of the vessel, including submersible operations support, research support staff, safety watch, night watch, communications and tracking support, and more.

Former OceanGate Human Resources and Finance Director Bonnie Carl testified Monday that she had never seen the description sheet above and that the only qualification to become one was to pay money to the company.

Former Marine Operations Director David Lochridge called mission specialists paid passengers, saying the company’s idea was to make money.

Lochridge went on to say that Rojas was on an OceanGate dive trip to the SS Andrea Doria, where CEO Stockton Rush allegedly wrecked the submersible into the port-side bow of Andrea.

Rush panicked and threw the submersible’s controller at Lochridge’s head while Rojas was in tears, Lochridge testified. Lochridge took over and piloted the vessel back to safety, he said at the hearing.

Dr. Steve Ross, who is listed as the former OceanGate Scientific Director, has not been mentioned throughout the proceedings like Rojas; however, several outlets report he is a University of North Carolina – Wilmington marine research professor. 

—

…Read More