The employee, who wishes to remain anonymous, made the concerns about the submersible’s design and safety features to the US Coast Guard in 2021. He claimed that the submersible’s design was flawed and posed a significant risk to passengers. The employee’s concerns were dismissed by the Coast Guard, and he was told that the submersible was safe to operate.
“The system is failing us, and it’s not just about the lack of enforcement. It’s about the lack of resources, the lack of political will, and the lack of a unified approach.”
This statement reflects a common sentiment among seafarers, who often feel powerless and unheard in the face of maritime safety regulations and enforcement. The system, in this context, refers to the international maritime organization (IMO) and its various conventions and regulations.
The company’s co-founder, who is also the CEO, is named as “Mr. X” in the lawsuit. “Mr. X” is accused of prioritizing profits over worker safety and neglecting to address employee concerns. The lawsuit alleges that “Mr.
* Mr. Lochridge was a prominent figure in the field of marine exploration and a key member of OceanGate’s team. * Mr. Lochridge’s death was a tragic loss for the marine exploration community. * OceanGate owned the Titan submersible and had used it on several dives to the Titanic going back to 2021.
I was made to be the face of the company. I was made to be the spokesperson for the company. I was made to be the voice of the company. I was made to be the face of the person who was supposed to be the face of the company.”
This quote reveals a lot about the speaker’s experience. It highlights the pressure and expectations placed upon him, the feeling of being a mere facade, and the lack of genuine agency in his role.
OceanGate’s former engineering director, Tony Nissen, kicked off Monday’s testimony, telling investigators he felt pressured to get the vessel ready to dive and had refused to pilot it for a journey several years before Titan’s last trip. Nissen worked on a prototype hull that predated the Titanic expeditions. “I’m not getting in it,” Nissen said he told Rush. OceanGate’s former finance and human resources director, Bonnie Carl, testified that Lochridge had characterised the Titan as “unsafe”. During the submersible’s final dive on June 18, 2023, the crew lost contact after an exchange of texts about the Titan’s depth and weight as it descended. The support ship, Polar Prince, then sent repeated messages asking if the Titan could still see the ship on its onboard display.
One of the last messages from Titan’s crew to Polar Prince before the submersible imploded stated, “all good here”, according to a visual re-creation presented earlier in the hearing. When the submersible failed to return, rescuers rushed ships, planes and other equipment to an area about 435 miles (700km) south of St John’s, Newfoundland. Wreckage of the Titan was subsequently found on the ocean floor about 330 yards (300 metres) off the bow of the Titanic, coastguard officials said.
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