Titanic: Submersible Pilot Fired For Raising Safety Concerns – Former Finance Directorr
Following the implosion of the Titanic submersible which left five people dead on June 18, a former director of finance and administration for OceanGate – said the company’s CEO, Stockton Rush, had requested her to become the chief pilot for the Titan submersible in 2018— a suggestion that led to her quitting her job.
Speaking with newsmen on the safety of the submersible before its implosion, the former director — who was not named — maintained that Rush asked her about becoming the submersible’s head pilot after firing David Lochridge, the submarine pilot originally billed for the role.
She added that Lochridge was initially sued by OceanGate in 2018, but he countersued the organization and alleged that he was fired after raising key concerns about the Titan’s safety.
The Finance director stated that, soon after Lochridge was fired, Rush asked her to fill in for the pilot, which made her suspicious and quit her job as soon as she found a new role elsewhere.
She revealed that, before the Titan’s final dive, Rush was repeatedly cautioned by submersible experts about the experimental nature of his vessel, but he pushed back against their warnings, citing his desire to innovate and belief that industry safety standards were too strict.
Recall that, the Titan imploded on June 18 while carrying five people — including Rush — to the wreck of the Titanic some 13,000 feet underwater, after which it lost contact with its mother ship around 1 ½ hours into its descent, and it was likely thousands of feet beneath the surface when its hull collapsed.
Credit: Insider
