OceanGate CEO claimed "no one is dying under my watch" in 2018 meeting before Titan sub disaster

A transcript from a crucial meeting at the company behind the ill-fated Titan submersible has revealed that in 2018, the CEO, Stockton Rush, said, "No-one is dying under my watch - period."

The transcript shows a heated discussion between OceanGate's chief, Stockton Rush, and former marine operations director David Lochridge, along with three other staff members.

In the meeting, Mr. Lochridge expressed safety concerns, to which Rush responded, "I have no desire to die... I think this is one of the safest things I will ever do."

The document was made public by the US Coast Guard as part of their investigation into the June 2023 disaster when the submersible imploded while descending to the Titanic wreck, killing all five passengers, including Rush.

Following the incident, OceanGate halted all exploration and commercial activities, leading to increased scrutiny about the safety and design of the submersible.

During a two-week hearing, investigators aim to determine the causes of the tragedy and propose recommendations to prevent similar accidents.

The transcript, uploaded to the inquiry's website on Friday, has some redacted portions.

The US Coast Guard confirmed to BBC News the speakers in this key exchange during the two-hour meeting.

Mr. Lochridge, a former OceanGate employee who testified at the public inquiry last week, attended the meeting on January 19, 2018.

He had prepared a "quality inspection report" highlighting significant concerns regarding the sub's design.

These concerns included the sub's carbon fiber hull quality and issues with how Titan was being built and tested.

He told the inquiry, "That meeting turned out to be a two-hour, 10-minute discussion… on my termination and how my disagreements with the organization, with regards to safety, didn't matter."

The meeting, held in 2018, was recorded, and the transcript reveals Mr. Lochridge stating, "I am addressing what I view as safety concerns, concerns I have mentioned verbally… which have been dismissed by everybody."