When the Titan submersible vanished during its dive to the Titanic wreck in 2023, David Lochridge, its former Director of Marine Operations, felt a sense of dread. "I always hoped… that what happened wouldn't happen," he shared with the BBC. However, his grave concerns since 2018 about the safety of the submersible were dismissed by Oceangate, the company behind Titan. Tragically, the sub imploded, claiming the lives of five, including Oceangate CEO Stockton Rush.
A recent report from the US Coast Guard highlighted severe safety oversights within Oceangate as a significant contributor to the disaster. "People were sold a lie," Lochridge expressed, emphasizing that many preventive measures could have been implemented from design to deployment stages. He contends that U.S. authorities could have acted more decisively to intervene.
Lochridge joined Oceangate full of enthusiasm about an innovative submersible to transport tourists to the Titanic site, but his optimism diminished over time. His concerns grew after Oceangate ceased collaboration with the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and transitioned design and construction in-house. Feeling the weight of responsibility for the safety of staff and passengers, Lochridge, who has over two decades of maritime experience, began noticing significant issues with the hull's construction.
As Titan’s design progressed, Lochridge identified alarming problems that made him question the integrity of the vessel. He reported his findings, yet faced considerable pushback from the management. By January 2018, Lochridge proactively presented a detailed report outlining safety issues, shortly before being dismissed from Oceangate.
Despite his termination, Lochridge approached the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) about his urgent safety concerns. Initially recognized as a whistleblower, he later found himself in a legal tangle with Oceangate, who filed lawsuits against him for alleged breaches of contract. Under immense pressure, Lochridge eventually dropped his litigation, believing he had exhausted all avenues for justice and safety measures.
Even after this traumatic episode, Oceangate pressed on, conducting test dives and ultimately taking paying passengers to view the Titanic. Despite issuing warnings about the Titan’s hull, the company faced a critical failure when the submersible imploded in June 2023, leading to a marine investigation highlighting missed opportunities for governmental intervention.
Lochridge lamented the consequences of OSHA’s slow response, indicating that effective communication and coordination with the US Coast Guard fell short, ultimately culminating in a preventable tragedy. A Coast Guard representative admitted that the system had failed the whistleblower. Following the accident, Oceangate has ceased operations, focusing both on regulatory compliance and the ongoing investigations.
