In the course of an investigation, a former marine operator associated with the company responsible for the Titan submersible, which tragically exploded the previous year and led to the deaths of five individuals while en route to the North Atlantic Ocean’s Titanic wreck, expressed his belief that this disaster was “inevitable” due to breaches in safety protocols.
David Lochridge, the former operations director for OceanGate, the company in charge of the deep-sea diving vessel, testified during a hearing by the United States Coast Guard that he had raised numerous safety concerns about the submersible to the organisation but that his warnings were largely disregarded.
In his much-anticipated testimony, Lochridge stated that the primary objective of OceanGate was to generate profit, noting that there was minimal emphasis on scientific endeavours.
Lochridge expressed his concerns during the hearing regarding the construction methods employed for the Titan in 2017. “I possessed a complete lack of confidence, and I expressed that openly, and I continue to do so,” he stated.
Lochridge was terminated in 2018 and subsequently faced legal action from OceanGate, which claimed he inappropriately revealed confidential information to regulatory bodies. The organisation further alleged that Lochridge disregarded the assurances provided by a lead engineer regarding the issue. In November 2018, Lochridge and OceanGate reached a settlement regarding their lawsuit.
Lochridge provided details regarding Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, who had previously experienced a submersible crash in 2016 while attempting to navigate the vessel to the Andrea Doria shipwreck, situated off the coast of Massachusetts.
In the midst of a tumultuous and potentially catastrophic journey, it was reported that Rush aggressively hurled the vessel’s controls at Lochridge following a passenger’s request for an alternative pilot. Lochridge recounted that Stockton had manoeuvred the craft perilously close to the wreck, encountered complications, and succumbed to panic, ultimately refusing to relinquish control until a distressed passenger implored him to do so.
The US Coast Guard hearing aimed at investigating the Titan tragedy occurs over a year following the submersible’s “catastrophic implosion” at significant ocean depths, subjected to extreme pressure while en route to the Titanic wreck located in the North Atlantic.
Dawood,In the incident that occurred in June 2023, a total of five individuals, including Rush, lost their lives. The additional individuals affected included British explorer Hamish Harding, British businessman Shahzada Dawood, along with his son Suleman, and French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet.