Years prior to the disappearance of OceanGate’s submersible with five people on board in the Atlantic Ocean, the company received multiple warnings as it prepared for its ambitious venture of offering wealthy passengers tours of the Titanic’s wreckage.
In January 2018, as the engineering team was preparing to hand over the craft named Titan to a new crew responsible for passenger safety, alarms were raised by experts both inside and outside the company.
Court documents reveal that OceanGate’s director of marine operations, David Lochridge, produced a scathing report, emphasizing the need for further testing and highlighting “the potential dangers to passengers of the Titan as the submersible reached extreme depths.”
Two months later, over three dozen industry leaders, deep-sea explorers, and oceanographers sent a letter to OceanGate’s CEO, Stockton Rush, expressing grave concerns about the company’s “experimental” approach and its decision to forgo a traditional assessment. They cautioned that such actions could lead to “catastrophic” problems during the Titanic mission.
As the search for the missing craft continues, new information emerges regarding the warnings issued to OceanGate during its pursuit of luxury extreme tourism.
OceanGate declined to comment on the critiques from Mr. Lochridge and the industry leaders, while Mr. Rush, the CEO and a passenger on the vessel, was serving as its pilot at the time of the disappearance.
The critiques centered around Mr. Rush’s refusal to have the Titan inspected and certified by reputable agencies. Mr. Lochridge had urged the company to undergo such assessments, but OceanGate deemed it financially unfeasible. Disturbingly, it was discovered that the craft’s viewport, allowing passengers to see outside, was only certified for depths of up to 1,300 meters—far less than the required capacity for Titanic trips at nearly 4,000 meters below the surface.
A tense meeting ensued after Mr. Lochridge’s report, leading to his termination. OceanGate alleged that he shared confidential information outside the company, while Mr. Lochridge claimed wrongful termination. The legal dispute was settled in 2018.
In the same year, OceanGate received another warning from 38 experts in the submersible craft industry. These experts, members of the Manned Underwater Vehicles committee of the Marine Technology Society, expressed unanimous concern about the Titan’s development and the planned missions to the Titanic wreckage. They insisted on third-party validation through testing under the supervision of leading certification companies.
OceanGate’s avoidance of adhering to certain U.S. regulations by deploying the vessel in international waters was also brought to light. Submersibles, unlike other vessels, operate with fewer regulations, particularly in international waters where Coast Guard rules do not apply.
Amidst ongoing legal battles and the search for the missing submersible, questions continue to be raised about safety standards, certification processes, and regulatory compliance within the industry.
OceanGate’s previous expeditions to the Titanic site encountered technical issues and faced legal challenges, casting a shadow of doubt over the company’s ability to ensure passenger safety and operational reliability.
The fate of the missing submersible remains uncertain as investigators delve deeper into the circumstances surrounding its disappearance and the warnings that were issued but went unheeded.
Source: New York Times
