Weeks after the implosion of the Titan submersible, which killed all five on board, ominous details are emerging about the vessel. The New Yorker has published an email a former employee of OceanGate - the operator of the sub - wrote to a colleague raising concerns regarding the safety of the company's CEO Stockton Rush and others involved in what he deemed a reckless pursuit of personal glory. David Lochridge, who served as OceanGate's director of marine operations until 2018, was terminated after repeatedly raising alarm throughout the construction process of the ill-fated Titan.
According to the leaked emails, Mr Lochridge voiced his apprehensions about Mr Rush endangering himself and his colleagues aboard the submersible. Allegedly, these warnings were disregarded despite being delivered directly from the factory floor.
Recent revelations suggest that the crew's final moments would have been spent in darkness, accompanied by music.
Further information has emerged regarding an email Mr Lochridge sent to project associate Rob McCallum shortly after his dismissal from OceanGate in 2018. In this series of messages, he expressed his fears that Mr Rush's relentless pursuit of personal ambition would result in tragedy aboard the submersible.
The OceanGate vessel first went missing on June 18, with British explorer Hamish Harding, diving company CEO Stockton Rush, French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman on board. Four days later, the US Coast Guard confirmed that the Titan submersible had suffered a catastrophic implosion, resulting in the death of all five individuals.
According to The New Yorker, Mr Lochridge said in his email: "I don't want to be seen as a Tattle tale but I'm so worried he kills himself and others in the quest to boost his ego." The engineer further said, "I would consider myself pretty ballsy when it comes to doing things that are dangerous, but that sub is an accident waiting to happen."
Days before sending the email, Mr Lochridge thoroughly inspected the submersible, which he was already familiar with, and uncovered numerous alarming issues. Court documents from a lawsuit, which has since been settled, reveal that he discovered glue coming loose from the seams of the ballast bags and incorrectly positioned mounting bolts that posed a rupture risk, as per the New Yorker.
Additionally, the experienced diver noticed visible plunge holes in the sub's ceiling faces and identified deviations from standard parameters in the grooves of the Titan. The lawsuit also mentioned concerns about potential hazards caused by important components being attached with zip-ties.
Mr Lochridge was further troubled by the presence of flammable flooring and interior vinyl wrapping that emitted highly toxic gases upon ignition.
However, the most significant concern for Mr Lochridge, which ultimately led to the sub's failure during its last dive, was the carbon fiber core responsible for maintaining passenger safety at the depths where the Titanic wreckage resides. These depths experience external water pressure of approximately 6,000 pounds per square inch, exerting pressure from all sides on the crucial hull of the vessel.
The fact that the pressure chamber was constructed from carbon fiber, an untested and unpredictable material not utilised in any other deep-sea submersible, troubled Mr Lochridge. According to the lawsuit filed in Seattle District Court, he argued that the Titan required extensive testing to ensure the safety of both passengers and the sub itself at extreme depths.
The New Yorker claims in its report that Mr Rush, infuriated by Mr Lochridge's stance, promptly terminated his employment.
