Former OceanGate specialist breaks down in tears describing doomed Titan dive: Never sold as a Disney ride

A former OceanGate mission specialist broke down in tears Thursday while questioned about the company’s doomed Titanic dive, which she insisted was “never sold as a Disney ride.”Renata Rojas, a New York City-based banker, quickly became overwhelmed and needed a break as he appeared before the US Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation in North Charleston, South Carolina.Rojas started crying when the panel said it would start direct questions about the doomed Titan submersible voyage that imploded in June last year, killing OceanGate founder Stockton Rush and his four passengers.After a brief break, she described her role in helping the crew on launch day — maintaining that they all knew the risks involved.“This was never sold as a Disney ride,” she said of the experimental sub operated largely by an off-shelf game controller.“It was an expedition that…things happen and you have to adapt to change,” she added.She continued to cry and wipe tears as she described the last time she saw Rush and his big-spending passengers ahead of the launch.“I saw five people looking forward to their journey, excited,” Rojas told the panel.“The weather was great,” Rojas added, noting that she did not notice anything unusual before the submersible deployed from the support ship.When the submersible failed to return as planned around 4:30 p.m.on June 18th, 2023, Rojas said the team on the surface waited a bit before eventually informing the Coast Guard.“Usually they are allowed at least an hour [of delay],” she explained.“It didn’t seem to be anything of concern until about 5 or 6 p.m.,” she added.

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Earlier in her testimony, Rojas described herself as an experienced diver who was drawn to O...