'I was booked on ill-fated Titan sub but backed out after one horrifying comment'
A university professor who narrowly missed boarding the doomed Titan submersible has opened up about the moment he opted out of the dive.
Jim Kitchen, 60, a business professor at the University of North Carolina, recalled that it was during a pre-dive briefing that he made the decision not to proceed.
His change of heart stemmed from the dismissive way his queries were handled by the OceanGate crew. Mr Kitchen noted that his concerns regarding the ship carrying Titan and the prevailing weather conditions were simply brushed off.
Yet, it was his ultimate question that sealed his decision – when he enquired how many times Titan had visited the Titanic wreck that season.
Upon learning the answer, he signalled to OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush for a private word. He told the Times: "The answer was 'none'.
"So I motioned to Rush and I said, 'Hey, talk to me after.' I didn't want to spook everyone else in the group. I told him I wasn't going to go. There was no way I was getting on board."
Mr Kitchen's gut feeling proved lifesaving as on June 18, 2023, the Titan submersible catastrophically imploded, claiming the lives of five passengers, including Mr Rush.
Moreover, the very dive Mr Kitchen was scheduled for was called off due to inclement weather. Consequently, Mr Kitchen admits to grappling with "survivor's remorse", especially since, had the weather not intervened, he might have been among those tragically lost.
Two years after Titan's tragic final plunge, a US coastguard report has pinpointed OceanGate's negligence in adhering to "follow established engineering protocols for safety, testing, and maintenance of their submersible" as the main cause of the calamity, labelling it "preventable".
Whistleblower David Lochridge, who was dismissed by OceanGate in 2018 after raising safety concerns, has been vocal since the Titan incident. Speaking to the BBC, he detailed the severe issues with Titan's carbon hull.
He remarked: "When the carbon hull came in, it was an absolute mess...I brought up all the issues that I was seeing... but I was just met with resistance all the way."
An OceanGate representative responded: "After the tragedy occurred, the company permanently wound down operations and directed its resources fully towards co-operating with the coastguard's inquiry through its completion.
"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."
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