Former OceanGate operations director David Lochridge testified Tuesday at the Coast Guard hearing on the implosion of the Titan submersible, saying he had "no confidence whatsoever" in how it was built. Lochridge was one of the hearing's most anticipated witnesses, CBS News reports. The veteran engineer and submersible pilot testified that he felt like a "show pony" hired to bring scientific credibility to OceanGate. "The whole idea behind the company was to make money," he said. "There was very little in the way of science."
- A "total disregard for safety." Lochridge testified that OceanGate founder Stockton Rush, one of five people who died in the June 2023 implosion, had a "total disregard for safety" and always dismissed his concerns when he brought them up in meetings, Sky News reports. He said he believed his concerns were ignored due cost-cutting—and "the desire to get to the Titanic as quickly as they could to start making profit."
- An "abomination of a sub." Lochridge, discussing a safety report on the first Titan hull, described it as "an abomination of a sub," per Sky News. "There was so many laminations, so many voids. The imperfections were incredible. There was glue runs everywhere. And that's a red flag," he testified. He said the hull was like "porous paper. It was disgusting." He said "everything was reused" for the second Titan hull, the one involved in the disaster.
- Whistleblower protection scheme. Lochridge testified that he was fired in early...
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