The co-founder of the company that owned the experimental submersible that imploded testified before the U.S. Coast Guard
Frederick said it was "unconscionable that they wouldn't share that" and it could have changed the rescue response. "It certainly would've changed the equation," he testified. Neubauer said the panel would complete its work and press for changes in the form of recommendations to Coast Guard leadership "to help ensure that nobody has to endure a future similar occurrence."
Guillermo Sohnlein, who helped found OceanGate with Rush, described the lofty goal "to give humanity greater access to the ocean, specifically the deep ocean." Using carbon fiber for the pressure hull was hardly a novel idea, he said, and noted Rush himself was the first human to test the design."The whole idea behind the company was to make money," he testified. "There was very little in the way of science.
Coast Guard officials noted at the start of the hearing, held in South Carolina, that the submersible had not been independently reviewed, as is standard practice.