An upcoming Netflix documentary reveals new details about the 2023 Titan submersible, which was traveling to the wreck of the Titanic when it imploded, killing all five people aboard.
"Titan: The OceanGate Disaster" looks at the warnings that were ignored about the submersible's designs.
David Lochridge, the chief submersible pilot, tried to warn the company's CEO about the potential dangers and was fired for doing so.
"There was nothing safe on that vehicle at all, hence why I raised my concerns verbally and also put them down on paper as well," Lochridge told the "TODAY" show. "When I raised the concerns and put them down on paper, on my quality inspection report, I was subsequently taken into the boardroom. Over a two-hour, 10-minute period, I was dismissed from the company. So I was fired, basically."
A part of Lochridge's job was to assist with the building of the submersible and then take the paying customers down to the wreck. OceanGate charged passengers $250,000 apiece to visit the site.
Lochridge said he expressed his concerns over the course of the submersible being built. Part of his worries stemmed from the carbon fiber design of the submersible, which he said wasn't safe for deep dives.
He also filed a federal whistleblower complaint and lawsuit to try to get the warning out to the public.
The underwater vessel disappeared after officials said it suffered a "catastrophic implosion." OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, 61, who was piloting the Titan; the deep sea explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, who was experienced in visiting the Titanic wreck site; British tycoon Hamish Harding, 58; and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son, Suleman, 19, were killed.
OceanGate said in a statement Thursday: "We again offer our deepest condolences to the families of those who died on June 18, 2023, and to all those impacted by the tragedy."
The company said it "permanently wound down its operations" after the tragedy and is fully cooperating with investigations being conducted by the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board.
"Titan: The OceanGate Disaster" debuts Wednesday on Netflix.
