Boss of Titan sub firm pledged 'no-one is dying under my watch' after safety concerns raised

A transcript from a cardinal gathering astatine the steadfast down the ill-fated Titan submersible has revealed the CEO said successful 2018: “No-one is dying nether my ticker - period.”

It captures a heated speech betwixt OceanGate main Stockton Rush and his erstwhile manager of marine operations, David Lochridge, positive 3 different staff.

The log shows Mr Lochridge raised information concerns, to which Rush responded: “I person nary tendency to die... I deliberation this is 1 of the safest things I volition ever do.”

The papers was released by the US Coast Guard arsenic portion of its enquiry into the June 2023 catastrophe erstwhile the sub imploded portion journeying to the Titanic shipwreck. All 5 passengers were killed, including Rush.

OceanGate suspended each exploration and commercialized operations pursuing the incident, which led to questions astir the submersible's information and design.

During 2 weeks of hearings, investigators are seeking to uncover what led to the tragedy, and to marque recommendations to debar repetition incidents.

The transcript was uploaded to the enquiry website connected Friday, but sections of the papers were redacted.

The US Coast Guard has present confirmed to BBC News who was speaking successful this cardinal speech during the two-hour meeting.

Mr Lochridge - who gave grounds astatine the nationalist enquiry past week arsenic a erstwhile OceanGate worker - was called to the gathering connected 19 January 2018.

He had compiled a “quality inspection report”, which raised superior problems with the sub’s design.

These included concerns astir the mediocre prime of the sub’s hull, which was made of c fibre, and issues with the mode Titan was being constructed and tested.

He told the enquiry past week: "That gathering turned retired to beryllium a two-hour, 10-minute discussion… connected my termination and however my disagreements with the organisation, with regards to safety, didn't matter."

The 2018 gathering was recorded, and the transcript captures Mr Lochridge saying: "I americium addressing what I presumption arsenic information concerns, concerns I person mentioned verbally… which person been dismissed by everybody."

Stockton Rush was recorded replying: "I've listened to them, and I person fixed you my effect to them, and you deliberation my effect is inadequate."

Rush went connected to say: “Everything I've done connected this task is radical telling maine it won't enactment - you can't bash that.”

After telling the gathering attendees that helium had nary tendency to dice and that helium believed his sub was safe, Rush continued by saying: "I've got a bully granddaughter. I americium going to beryllium around. I recognize this benignant of risk, and I'm going into it with eyes unfastened and I deliberation this is 1 of the safest things I volition ever do.”

He past added: “I tin travel up with 50 reasons wherefore we person to telephone it disconnected and we neglect arsenic a company. I'm not dying. No 1 is dying nether my ticker - period.”

Mr Lochridge was fired aft the gathering and past took his concerns to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha).

But helium said the US authorities bureau was dilatory and failed to act. After expanding unit from OceanGate’s lawyers, helium dropped the lawsuit and signed a non-disclosure agreement.

At the extremity of his grounds to the Titan enquiry past week, helium said that if the authorities had decently investigated OceanGate, the calamity would person been averted.

In different developments related to the case, the US Coast Guard has besides released an representation of the Titan showing however its dome fell disconnected arsenic the submersible was lifted retired of the oversea pursuing a dive successful 2021.

A paying rider who was connected that peculiar Titan ngo described the incidental during his ain grounds connected Friday.

Fred Hagen said: “The unit of the level hitting the deck… it fundamentally sheared disconnected respective bolts and they changeable disconnected similar bullets. And the titanium dome fell off."

This was 1 of 118 method incidents listed by the US Coast Guard with Titan dives to the Titanic that took spot earlier the 2023 disaster.

The nationalist hearings proceed this week.

Monday's grounds comes from OceanGate co-founder Guillermo Sohnlein, the company's erstwhile engineering manager Phil Brooks and Roy Thomas from the American Bureau of Shipping.