Titan tragedy may have been prevented if OSHA investigated claims, ex-employee says

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) — A former OceanGate employee turned company whistleblower testified for hours Tuesday in a Coast Guard hearing about his former employment, ending the day by saying the Titan tragedy might have been prevented if OSHA had looked into his claims.

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

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

“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. I believe that if OSHA had attempted to investigate the seriousness of the concerns I raised, this tragedy [Titan implosion] may have been prevented.”

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 ten months.

He turned over all evidence he collected during his time as chief of marine operations, including an engineering report from 2018 detailing several 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.

Then Lochridge contacted OSHA again for help on the matter, and they 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.

” Stockton had no experience building submersibles. None of them did. None of them were experienced submersible operators. I know the company had been on the go since 2009. There was no experience across the board within that organization. That initially, was the entire appeal for me going across and transforming things and making something good out of, what at the time, was nothing,” Lochridge shared with the board.

Also, during his testimony, Lochridge recounted numerous incidents in which OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, whom he described as a “control freak,” violated safety.

One experience detailed was about Rush 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 drove the submersible full speed through the site, allegedly 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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