OceanGate employee testifies Titan submarine was unsafe and company prioritized profits over safety

David Lochridge, former operations director of OceanGate, testified before a commission investigating the Titan sub's implosion, which resulted in the deaths of five people in June 2023. Lochridge stated that he had warned of potential safety problems before being fired in 2018, but his concerns were ignored. He also testified that he frequently clashed with co-founder Stockton Rush, who was driven by "arrogance" and prioritized making money over sound engineering decisions. Lochridge's testimony echoed that of other former employees, who described a corporate culture that valued profits over safety. Lochridge labeled the experimental submersible unsafe before its last fatal voyage, and his testimony marked his first public comments since raising concerns with his former employer.