OMG, like, OceanGate is so in the hot seat right now with all the tea spilling about that tragic Titan sub disaster. So, picture this: back in June 2023, the Titan submersible, which was supposed to take passengers down to see the Titanic (super iconic, right?), totally imploded. Like, it was tragic beyond belief—five people, including OceanGate’s CEO, Stockton Rush, lost their lives. And now, the whole thing is being dragged through the courts!
How It All Went Down
Okay, so let’s rewind. June 18, 2023, the Titan starts its descent, all cool and collected, right? But then, only 1 hour and 45 minutes in, poof—they lose contact. Panic mode sets in, and there’s this massive search. According to ABC News, the last texts between the sub and its support ship, Polar Prince, were, like, full of red flags—stuff about thruster problems and the sub not being its best self. I mean, can you imagine?
“There were serious warnings about the sub’s systems,” an investigator said. So yeah, totally not a good vibe.
Fast forward to June 22, and everyone’s worst nightmare comes true—they find debris near the Titanic site. Ugh, and it turns out the sub imploded. The U.S. Coast Guard said all five onboard, including Rush, died instantly. It’s just heartbreaking.
Whistleblowers Be Like: “We Told You So”
Now, here’s where it gets even juicier. Apparently, some former OceanGate employees had been throwing major shade at the company for years. Sky News reported that several people were like, “Uh, hey, this carbon fiber hull thing? Not safe, y’all.” And guess what? No one listened!
David Lochridge, who used to be OceanGate’s Director of Marine Ops, testified in court, and he was not holding back. He said he begged OceanGate to do more tests on the sub, but noooo, they didn’t wanna mess with their schedule.
“OceanGate was cutting corners, and we all knew it,” Lochridge said, according to the Telegraph. Like, how scary is that? He even got fired in 2018 for calling them out, and now that lawsuit is part of the drama.
Legal Drama and Investigations Galore
So, like, the U.S. Coast Guard has been all over this, asking OceanGate execs some pretty tough questions about why they didn’t get proper certification for the sub. And girl, let me tell you—this decision to skip third-party inspections is not aging well. CBC News showed the hearings, and it’s clear that people are not happy with how OceanGate handled things.
To make it worse, the families of the victims are coming for OceanGate in court. They’re saying the company was straight-up negligent, like, not taking safety seriously at all. There are a bunch of lawsuits flying around, and honestly, things are looking messy for OceanGate.
What’s Next?
Now, everyone’s wondering what happens next. This case might change how deep-sea exploration is regulated, which, like, duh, sounds super important after all this. Experts are out here saying there needs to be way more oversight, and OceanGate’s situation is giving private companies a serious wake-up call.
OceanGate’s legal team hasn’t clapped back at all these accusations just yet, but TBH, their future is looking pretty shaky. Whether the families of those poor passengers get justice is still up in the air, but this whole situation has definitely left its mark.
XOXO,
Valley Girl News
