The explosion of OceanGate’s Titan submersible is very unfortunate, but as the investigations into it continue, a warning from an ex-employee does not go amiss. David Lochridge, an ex-employee, was fired after he expressed concern about the submersible's safety. In fact, many more people from the industry, including deep-sea explorers and oceanographers, had also issued similar warnings. After the unfortunate incident claiming all 5 lives onboard, Lochridge’s report once again comes to the fore. But who is David Lochridge? Read on to know more. James Cameron Opens Up on OceanGate Submersible Incident, Finds the Situation Similar to Titanic Disaster.

Who is David Lochridge?

  • David Lochridge is an ex-OceanGate employee who worked as the director of marine operations in the company.

  • Back in 2018, he was working on a report regarding the safety of the submersible after it reached the extreme depths of the sea. He found some issues with the viewport of the submersible.

  • Lochridge had requested a safety certification of the Titan submersible, which Mr Stockton Rush, the CEO of the company, dismissed. Mr Rush was also among the group of 5 and died after the sub imploded.

  • In his warning, Lochridge had written of potentially “catastrophic” problems with the Titanic mission. OceanGate was unwilling to pay for any such assessment.

  • This led to a lawsuit that OceanGate filed against Mr Lochridge, accusing him of sharing confidential information outside the company.

  • As per the court documents, Mr Lochridge learnt that the viewport that lets passengers see outside the craft was only certified to work in depths of up to 1,300 meters.

  • OceanGate in the court said that Lochridge was not an engineer and did not cooperate with the company’s engineering team. The company later fired him.

  • Mr Lochridge then alleged his wrongful termination in another lawsuit. The legal battle ended with a settlement later.

The Titan submersible had got similar warnings regarding this planned trip to the Titanic wreckage. The industry experts had demanded to test the submersible. But the ignorance from the company has cost a hefty loss to all the family members who lost their kin in this expedition.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 26, 2023 12:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).