The CEO of the downed Titanic submersible said in 2018: “No-one is dying under my watch - period” when confronted about safety roughly five years before the tragedy which killed all those on board.
A US Coast Guard probe revealed a heated argument between OceanGate chief Stockton Rush and his former director of marine operations, David Lochridge, about the vessel’s safety.
When Mr Lochridge raised safety concerns, Mr Rush responded: “I have no desire to die... I think this is one of the safest things I will ever do.”
He added: "I've listened to them, and I have given you my response to them, and you think my response is inadequate."
During the submersible's final dive on June 18, 2023, the crew lost contact after an exchange of texts about Titan's depth and weight as it descended.
The support ship Polar Prince then sent repeated messages asking if 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.”
When the submersible was reported overdue, rescuers rushed ships, planes and other equipment to an area about 435 miles south of St John's, Newfoundland.
Wreckage of the Titan was subsequently found on the ocean floor about 300 metres off the bow of the Titanic, Coast Guard officials said.
A transcript was released by the US Coast Guard as part of its inquiry into the June 2023 disaster.
During two weeks of hearings, investigators are seeking to uncover what led to the tragedy, and to avoid a repeat.
Mr Lochridge, who gave evidence at the public inquiry last week as a former OceanGate employee, had compiled a “quality inspection report”, which raised serious problems with the sub’s design.
These included concerns about the poor quality of the sub’s hull and its construction.
He told the inquiry last week: "[A] meeting turned out to be a two-hour, 10-minute discussion… on my termination and how my disagreements with the organisation, with regards to safety, didn't matter."
The 2018 meeting was recorded, and the transcript captures Mr Lochridge saying: "I am addressing what I view as safety concerns, concerns I have mentioned verbally… which have been dismissed by everybody."
Mr Rush replied: “I've got a nice granddaughter. I am going to be around. I understand this kind of risk, and I'm going into it with eyes open and I think this is one of the safest things I will ever do.”
He then added: “I can come up with 50 reasons why we have to call it off and we fail as a company. I'm not dying. No one is dying under my watch - period.”
Mr Lochridge was fired after the meeting.
OceanGate said it has been fully co-operating with the Coast Guard and all other investigations since they began.
Titan had been making voyages to the Titanic wreckage site going back to 2021.
