Shocking “All is well” text from Titanic submersible passengers revealed

The hearing, which began on September 15, will examine what led to the implosion of the watercraft. It will examine, among other things, “mechanical aspects as well as compliance with regulations and the qualifications of the crew members,” the Coast Guard told the Associated Press.

Chief Technical Officer of OceanGate Tony Nissen was the first witness to testify. When asked if he felt rushed to initiate operations on the Titan, he replied: “100 percent.”

However, Nissen denied that what he believed was a rush to complete the Titan had compromised safety precautions.

“That's a difficult question,” he said, “because with infinite time and infinite budget, you could do infinite tests.”

He mentioned that the submersible was struck by lightning in 2018, which led him to fear that its hull had been damaged. He explained that founder Stockton – who he described as “difficult” to work with – did not want to take the incident seriously.