The CEO who was at the controls of the Titan submersible during its tragic implosion last year, which resulted in the deaths of him and four others, previously experienced a severe incident with another submersible. He is said to have crashed that vessel into a shipwreck and displayed anger when a distressed passenger requested that someone else take over the controls, as revealed by new testimony on Tuesday.
David Lochridge, who previously managed marine operations at OceanGate until his dismissal in 2018, recounted this alarming incident to a U.S. Coast Guard panel examining the fatal Titan implosion. He detailed how Stockton Rush, the CEO and founder of OceanGate, insisted on captaining the submersible, known as Cyclops 1, on a dive to the Andrea Doria shipwreck in 2016, despite Lochridge’s strong objections.
Lochridge expressed concern as Rush carelessly deployed the submersible, disregarding warnings to maintain a safe distance from the deteriorating wreck located about 250 feet beneath the Atlantic Ocean. He described how Rush ultimately “smashed straight down” upon landing and then recklessly drove the vessel at full speed into the site of the wreckage, getting the submersible stuck underneath it. In a state of panic and with three passengers observing, Rush reportedly questioned whether there was sufficient life support available and inquired about the arrival time for a dive team.