Titan sub hearings: Here’s what you missed from first week

Patrick Lahey, the co-founder and chief executive of leading submersible manufacturer Triton, told investigators he wasn’t impressed by the Titan submersible.

Mr Lahey’s company manufactures submersibles that descend to the deepest points of the ocean.

While not mandatory, he stressed the importance of certifying submersible vessels through a process that involves an extensive safety assessment carried out by independent marine organisations.

Mr Lahey told the panel there was no reason why the Titan submersible couldn’t have been certified.

He toured the Titan sub that later imploded while on vacation in the Bahamas and said he “wasn’t particularly impressed” by what he saw.

“It looked to me like a lot of the stuff was not quite ready for primetime,” he added, saying he expressed his concerns to OceanGate.

Mr Lahey added that the vessel did not seem “particular well thought out”.

“It just looked amateur-ish in its execution,” he said.