Former employees of the company that built and operated the Titan submersible have testified before a US Coast Guard panel investigating the vessel's deadly implosion last year. The employees revealed that OceanGate asked them to defer their pay as the company faced economic difficulties.
Amber Bay, the former director of administration at OceanGate, stated that employees were requested to delay their paychecks at the beginning of 2023. This request, made by the late OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, aimed to help the company manage its financial constraints. Bay mentioned that she and Rush agreed to postpone their paychecks, with the promise of receiving a small amount of interest and recapturing the deferred wages at a later date.
Phil Brooks, the former director of engineering at OceanGate, also testified about the economic challenges faced by the company. He revealed that employees were asked to volunteer to forego their pay for certain periods, with the assurance of catching up on payments after the new year. Brooks expressed concerns that the company's financial struggles were compromising safety measures, leading him to believe that risky decisions were being made.
Brooks highlighted a specific instance where he felt safety was being compromised due to economic reasons. He mentioned the need for him and his team to work on the submersible while it was in motion at sea, a situation he deemed too dangerous. These safety concerns, coupled with the company's financial issues, ultimately led Brooks to leave OceanGate.
In response to the testimonies, OceanGate extended its condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the Titan implosion. The company, which ceased operations shortly after the incident, emphasized its cooperation with the Coast Guard and NTSB investigations.
The ongoing Marine Board of Investigation hearing has shed light on allegations that OceanGate prioritized profits over safety and disregarded warnings from former employees regarding operational risks. Testimonies from individuals like David Lochridge, the company's former director of marine operations, have raised serious doubts about the safety standards of the Titan submersible.
Lochridge, who was terminated from OceanGate in 2018, expressed his lack of confidence in the construction of the Titan, describing it as 'smoke and mirrors.' The tragic implosion claimed the lives of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, businessman Hamish Harding, and French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
