OceanGate's previous operations director alleges that the company responsible for the faulty submersible was primarily composed of vague promises and impressions.
Testifying on the second day of a US Coast Guard inquiry into the vessel's explosion in June 2023, which resulted in the death of all 5 individuals on board, Lochridge stated that his role was to ensure the safety of all crew, clients, and trainee pilots, but he felt more like a show pony due to a lack of qualified pilots.
He described the company's operations as "all smoke and mirrors," adding that they always faced challenges during their expeditions.
The submersible sent its final transmission just six seconds before losing contact with the surface during its dive to the Titanic, as per the first day's testimony at a two-week hearing by the Marine Board of Investigation, responsible for examining the tragedy. The mother ship, the Polar Prince, subsequently lost track of the submersible.
A lawsuit filed by one of the victims' families claimed that the final message, sent around 90 minutes into the dive, suggested the crew might have sensed trouble and were trying to terminate the mission.
CNN contacted OceanGate for comment on the recent testimony.
Lochridge discussed a 2018 report in which he raised safety concerns over OceanGate operations, stating "there was no way I was endorsing this." He had "zero faith" in the construction of the submersible.
However, he stated that leadership dismissed his concerns, focusing solely on completing the Titanic mission as soon as possible.
"Every time I voiced my displeasure or dissatisfaction – the best word... I was dismissed," he said. "Everyone knew, from the engineering team, that I had concerns. I spoke to every single one of them. None of them had experience operating submersibles. There was no experience within that organization."
His testimony before the Marine Board of Investigation came a day after former OceanGate employees – the Everett, Washington-based company that developed and operated the 23,000-pound submersible, selling tickets for around $250,000 – painted a picture of a company that took shortcuts in its rush to embark on missions with a poorly designed submersible.
Lochridge, who was eventually fired in 2018 after raising safety issues, said, "Whenever you're in a sub, the most important thing is getting home safe to your family, not making money or pushing boundaries. Don't take unnecessary risks with defective – and I mean defective – equipment."
The Marine Board of Investigation, the Coast Guard's highest level of inquiry, was convened rapidly following the submersible's disappearance and tasked with determining the cause of the tragedy and recommending potential civil penalties and criminal prosecution.
The submersible lost contact with its mother ship during its dive to the Titanic on June 18, 2023. When it failed to resurface, a massive international search and rescue operation was launched in the remote waters several hundred miles southeast of Newfoundland, Canada.
Ultimately, authorities concluded that the vessel had suffered a "catastrophic implosion" – a sudden inward collapse caused by immense pressure. Debris from the submersible was found on the sea floor several hundred yards from the Titanic, and authorities recovered "presumed human remains" believed to belong to the victims.
Stockton Rush, the founder and CEO of the vessel's operator; businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman Dawood; businessman Hamish Harding; and French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet were all killed.
Once the investigation is complete, both the US Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct independent analyses and complete reports, said Jason Neubauer, the chair of the Marine Board of Investigation. He cautioned that future hearings may be held and would not provide an estimated conclusion time for the investigation.
CNN’s Dakin Andone and Cindy Von Quednow contributed to this report.
Despite his concerns about the submersible's safety and his eventual termination, Lochridge expressed his responsibility towards ensuring the safety of us, the crew and clients, during his time with OceanGate.
However, in the wake of the tragedy, Lochridge regretted that his concerns about the lack of qualified pilots and inadequate experience within the organization were disregarded, putting everyone, including us, at risk.
