OceanGate ignored Titan submersible safety warning, Netflix documentary filmmakers say

Imploded Titan submersible at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
Titan submersible A recording from what some suspect is the implosion of the Titan submersible was released. (U.S. Coast Guard Head/dvidshub.net)

A new documentary on the Titan submersible disaster claims that OceanGate, the sub’s owners, ignored repeated safety warnings.

David Lochridge was the company’s director of marine operations and the submersible’s chief pilot. He said was fired after he repeatedly told the company’s CEO, Stockton Rush, that the sub was too dangerous, the “Today” show reported.

Lochridge was interviewed as part of the new Netflix documentary “Titan: The OceanGate Disaster.”

He claims that the company was aware that the “hull was starting to break down,” he told the “Today” show.

The hull was made of carbon fiber, not steel or titanium, making it lighter and less expensive to build, Netflix said.

CBC reported that carbon fiber is not approved for certified deep-diving submersibles, but the material did complete 13 successful dives to the Titanic’s site.

Lochridge was recorded telling Rush about the issues and even filed a federal lawsuit over his worries. OceanGate was still allowed to take tourists to see the RMS Titanic.

The moment that Lochridge dreaded and warned about, the implosion of the Titan submersible on June 18, 2022, was caught on audio recording. The incident killed all five people on board, including Rush.

Four days later, the remnants of the submersible were found in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Lochridge testified in 2024 in front of U.S. Coast Guard investigators who were looking into the catastrophe, saying it was “inevitable” and that OceanGate “bypassed” standard rules, the BBC reported at the time.

Netflix, in its synopsis of the documentary, said, "Through exclusive access to whistleblower testimony, pivotal audio recordings, and footage from the company’s early days, the film provides an unprecedented look at the technical challenges, moral dilemmas, and shockingly poor decisions that culminated in the catastrophic expedition."

Titan: The OceanGate Disaster” streams on Netflix on June 11, days before the two-year anniversary of the fateful dive.

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