BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: An ex-employee of the OceanGate sent a shocking email to an associate prophesying the ill fate of the doomed Titan, years before it perished. The 22ft vessel imploded after going on a voyage with five people onboard on June 18, 2023. One of the now-dead explorers on the submersible was OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush.
But it was David Lochridge, who once served as OceanGate’s director of marine operations between 2015 and 2018, who predicted the accident shortly after being fired. Lochridge was not sure of the Titan’s safety features, the Daily Mail reported. Despite his numerous attempts and efforts to make Rush realize it, his concerns were not addressed and instead, he was forced to step down.
‘I’m so worried he kills himself and others’
Now, it has been revealed that weeks after losing his job, Lochridge shared an email with project associate Rob McCallum that read, “I would consider myself pretty ballsy when it comes to doing things that are dangerous, but that sub is an accident waiting to happen. There’s no way on earth you could have paid me to dive the thing. I don’t want to be seen as a Tattle tale but I’m so worried he kills himself and others in the quest to boost his ego.”
Reportedly, Lochridge had checked and analyzed every vital part of the tourist sub and had also made a report noting the drawbacks, like the craft’s ceiling faces contained plunge holes, and the pressure chamber's building material was carbon fiber, among many others. In a report, the former staffer mentioned, “With Cyclops 2 (Titan) being handed off from Engineering to Operations in the coming weeks, now is the time to properly address items that may pose a safety risk to personnel.”
‘Titan should not be manned during any of the upcoming trials’
He added, “Verbal communication of the key items I have addressed in my attached document has been dismissed on several occasions, so I feel now I must make this report so there is an official record in place. Until suitable corrective actions are in place and closed out, Cyclops 2 (Titan) should not be manned during any of the upcoming trials."
One of the most concerning things, however, was OceanGate’s refusal to seek classification “to inspect and certify the Titan”. But the firm in its justification said in a 2019 blog post, which seemed to be removed now, that “while classing agencies are willing to pursue the certification of new and innovative designs and ideas, they often have a multi-year approval cycle due to a lack of pre-existing standards…Bringing an outside entity up to speed on every innovation before it is put into real-world testing is anathema to rapid innovation.”
