Ex-OceanGate employee calls Titan disaster ‘inevitable’ as first video shown
A former marine operator who was employed by the company responsible for the Titan submersible, which tragically imploded last year during an attempt to explore the Titanic wreck in the North Atlantic, stated in an investigation that he thought such a disaster was "inevitable" due to the disregard for safety regulations.
David Lochridge, who used to be the operations director at OceanGate, the company responsible for the deep-sea diving vehicle, stated at a US Coast Guard hearing that he raised safety issues regarding the submersible. However, he felt that his concerns were mostly overlooked by the company.
His statement coincided with the Coast Guard's release of video footage showing the wreckage of the Titan for the first time. The video reveals a shattered tail cone resting on the seafloor, surrounded by various pieces of the vessel.
In his eagerly awaited testimony, Lochridge explained that the primary goal of OceanGate was to generate profits, noting, "Science played a minimal role in the overall picture."
Lochridge expressed his concerns during the hearing regarding the construction of the Titan back in 2017. He stated, "I had absolutely no confidence in it, and I made that very clear at the time, and I continue to feel that way now."
In 2018, Lochridge was dismissed from his position and subsequently faced a lawsuit from OceanGate, which claimed he had inappropriately shared sensitive information with regulatory bodies. The company also alleged that Lochridge ignored reassurances from the chief engineer regarding the situation. Eventually, in November 2018, Lochridge and OceanGate reached a settlement in their legal dispute.
Lochridge also recounted an incident involving Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, who had crashed another submersible in 2016 while trying to navigate it to the Andrea Doria shipwreck, which is situated off the coast of Massachusetts.
On that tumultuous and nearly catastrophic journey, it was reported that Rush angrily tossed the submersible's controls to Lochridge after a passenger requested that someone else take the helm. According to Lochridge, Stockton had maneuvered the vessel too close to the wreck, which led to difficulties. In a state of panic, he refused to let go of the controls until a distressed passenger shouted at him to do so.
The US Coast Guard's hearing to look into the Titan incident is taking place over a year after the submersible suffered a devastating implosion beneath the ocean's surface, facing immense pressure while attempting to reach the Titanic wreck in the depths of the North Atlantic.
In the incident from June 2023, five individuals lost their lives, including Rush. The other victims comprised British explorer Hamish Harding, British businessman Shahzada Dawood along with his son Suleman, and French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
