Boss of Titan sub firm said: 'No-one is dying under my watch'

In June 2023, a tragic event occurred involving a submersible named Titan, which was on its way to explore the wreck of the Titanic. During its descent, the Titan suffered a catastrophic implosion, resulting in the loss of all five passengers on board, including Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, the company that operated the submersible. A transcript from a significant meeting held in 2018 has surfaced, revealing that Rush confidently stated, 'No-one is dying under my watch - period. ' This statement was made during a heated discussion with David Lochridge, the former director of marine operations, and several other staff members. Lochridge had raised serious safety concerns regarding the Titan's design and construction, but Rush maintained that he believed the submersible was safe, saying, 'I have no desire to die. I think this is one of the safest things I will ever do. ' Following the tragic incident, OceanGate suspended all its exploration and commercial activities, leading to widespread scrutiny regarding the safety and design of the Titan. The US Coast Guard is currently conducting an investigation to determine the factors that contributed to the disaster and to provide recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future. The transcript of the 2018 meeting was made public as part of this inquiry, although some sections were redacted. The Coast Guard has confirmed the identities of those involved in the crucial exchange during the two-hour meeting. Lochridge, who testified at the public inquiry last week, had prepared a 'quality inspection report' that highlighted significant issues with the Titan's hull, which was constructed from carbon fiber. He expressed his concerns about the sub's construction and testing processes, stating, 'That meeting turned out to be a two-hour, 10-minute discussion… on my termination and how my disagreements with the organization, with regards to safety, didn't matter. ' The recorded meeting captured Lochridge voicing his safety concerns, which he felt had been ignored by the company. Rush responded by saying, 'I've listened to them, and I have given you my response to them, and you think my response is inadequate. ' He further asserted, 'I've got a nice granddaughter. I am going to be around. I understand this kind of risk, and I'm going into it with eyes open and I think this is one of the safest things I will ever do. ' After the meeting, Lochridge was terminated from his position and subsequently reported his concerns to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). However, he claimed that the agency was slow to respond and ultimately failed to take action. Under pressure from OceanGate's legal team, he eventually dropped his case and signed a non-disclosure agreement. During his testimony at the Titan inquiry, Lochridge expressed that had the authorities conducted a thorough investigation into OceanGate, the tragic accident might have been prevented. In addition to the meeting transcript, the US Coast Guard released an image of the Titan after its dome had detached during a previous dive in 2021. A passenger from that mission recounted the incident, stating, 'The force of the platform hitting the deck… it basically sheared off several bolts and they shot off like bullets. And the titanium dome fell off. ' This incident was one of 118 technical problems documented by the Coast Guard related to Titan dives before the 2023 disaster. The public hearings are ongoing, with more testimonies expected from key figures, including OceanGate co-founder Guillermo Sohnlein and former engineering director Phil Brooks. The five individuals who tragically lost their lives in the Titan disaster are remembered, including Stockton Rush, Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet.