A former Ocean Gate employee had sued the firm over the safety of the Titan submarine, which went missing while on a mission to see the Titanic disaster. David Lochridge, who was sacked by the corporation, filed the case in 2018. The sub and its five-member crew have been missing since Sunday. British businessman Hamish Harding, an aviator and space tourist, a Pakistani businessman, and one of the country’s wealthiest men, and three more are among those on board.
According to court records, Mr. Lochridge was sacked after expressing worry about the safety of the submersible, according to a CBS story. OceanGate sued him, alleging that he breached his employment contract by exposing private information.
Mr. Lochridge filed a counter-suit against the corporation, claiming that he was unlawfully sacked. In the complaint, he also stated that his purpose was to safeguard the safety of people on the submersible. Mr. Lochridge, who worked as OceanGate’s director of marine operations, stated in his complaint that he voiced concerns about the company’s handling of the Titan and suggested the company to do more hull testing.
According to Fox News, the complaint stated that the submersible’s viewport was only built to a certified pressure of 1,300 meters, whereas OceanGate intended to carry passengers down to depths of 4,000 meters.
“Rather than address Lochridge’s concerns or undergo corrective action to rectify and ensure the safety of the experimental Titan, or utilize a standard classification agency to inspect the Titan, OceanGate did the exact opposite – they immediately fired Lochridge,” said the counterclaim. “OceanGate gave Lochridge approximately 10 minutes to clear out his desk and exit the premises. (etutorworld.com) ”
OceanGate’s experimental sub vanishes during the Titanic debris dive
The document added that Lochridge believed the company could “subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible”.
Less than two hours after it began diving toward the Titanic debris, the submersible was reported missing. OceanGate employs the submersible for its dives to the wreck, with seats costing $250,000 each.
Rescuers are racing against the clock to locate the deep-diving submersible, which has fewer than 40 hours of oxygen remaining. The US and Canadian Coast Guards have sent ships and planes to search for the vessel. According to Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick, the rescue operation is still ongoing throughout an area greater than the state of Connecticut in the United States.
Meanwhile, rescuers searching for the Titanic using sonar noticed “underwater noises” in the region where the yacht vanished.
The submarine that takes guests on a once-in-a-lifetime excursion nearly 2.4 miles below the sea’s surface can move at three knots and descend at 55 meters per minute.