Titan tragedy could have been prevented, ex-employee testifies

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. ( WCBD ) – A former OceanGate employee turned whistleblower testified for hours Tuesday in a Coast Guard hearing and said that the Titan submersible tragedy might have been prevented if a federal safety agency had looked into his complaints.

David Lochridge, ex-Marine Operations Director for OceanGate, spent Tuesday recounting numerous alleged safety violations and detailing his embattled relationship with his former employer.

At the end of the hearing, Lochridge finished with a personal statement, digging into why the manned submersible imploded on its way to the Titanic wreck site.

“In my opinion, OSHA failed not only my family, financially and emotionally, but stood by and did nothing to prevent further acts from OceanGate whilst under the Seaman’s Protection Act,” he said. “I believe that if OSHA had attempted to investigate the seriousness of the concerns I raised, this tragedy [Titan implosion] may have been prevented.”

OSHA stands for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Lochridge filed a whistleblower complaint under the Seaman’s Protection Act (SPA) with OSHA following his termination in January 2018. SPA protects seaman who report to federal agencies what they believe are maritime safety law violations.

After reporting his concerns to OSHA, Lodridge testified he was placed under the Whistleblower Protection Program for 10 months.

He turned over all evidence he collected during his time as chief of marine operations, including an engineering report from 2018 detailing several alleged mechanical issues with the Titan at the time.

During the hearing, Lochridge said OSHA never contacted witnesses regarding the turned-over evidence.

After OSHA informed OceanGate of Lochridge’s complaint, OceanGate responded by sending Lochridge a letter full of what he described as “threats,” demanding Lochridge settle and pay their lawyer expenses.

Lochridge contacted OSHA again for help on the matter, and they reportedly responded that they would investigate his claims as soon as possible.

Following the summer of 2018, OceanGate served Lochridge with a lawsuit. After getting nowhere with OSHA, he explained, he decided to drop the claim and settle.

Neither party paid as a result of the settlement, and Lochridge could not provide any information on OceanGate unless subpoenaed. The entire settlement agreement agreed on can be heard below.

Lochridge’s termination from OceanGate came the same month he put his concerns in writing in the form of a Quality Inspection Report, which was submitted to OceanGate leaders in January 2018.

The report on the Titan listed over a dozen “corrective actions/recommendations” and featured areas needing fixed. One photo showed what’s described as “delamination and porosity within the Carbon” of the hull.

Also, during his testimony, Lochridge recounted numerous incidents in which he claimed OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush violated safety, including crashing a submersible while diving to the SS Andrea Doria wreckage.

The Andrea Doria wreck site is notably dangerous, with Lochridge estimating about 18 divers have died attempting to discover Andrea’s remains.

Lochridge testified that the trip occurred in the summer of 2016 to create a 3D model of the wreckage while keeping a safe distance.

Rush piloted, taking down Lochridge and three mission specialists described as “paid clients.” With persistent protests from Lockridge, Rush allegedly drove the submersible full speed through the site, causing it to jam on the port side of Andrea’s bow.

Following the jam, Rush went into panic mode, according to the testimony. When Lochridge attempted to intervene and get the sub to safety, he said Rush threw the controller at his head, causing it to break.

“The controller landed on the deck plate. One of the buttons came off the robust PlayStation controller. I picked it up, repaired it and had us out 10-15 minutes,” Lochridge recalled to the board.

According to Lochridge, this incident soured the pair’s relationship, and Rush no longer talked to him afterward.

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