But some experts had worried about its safety, with a former employee and members of a trade group both expressing concerns about the design of the Titan vessel during its development. Lochridge countersued in August 2018, denying that and claiming that OceanGate's lawsuit was an effort to discourage "whistleblowers from coming forth with quality control issues and safety concerns that threaten the safety of innocent passengers." In the letter, Kohnen expressed what he said were widespread concerns about the Titan sub. Kohnen asked the MTS board in 2018 to officially send the letter on behalf of the entire society to Stockton. Stockton was sent a draft of the letter and discussed its contents in a 2018 phone call with Kohnen, in which the men "agreed to disagree" about the safety concerns raised, Kohnen said.

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Persons: David Lochridge, OceanGate, Lochridge, Lochridge countersued, Will Kohnen, Kohnen, Stockton, Daniel Trotta, Brad Brooks, Rollo Ross, Donna Bryson, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: OceanGate, Lochridge, Marine Technology, Stockton Rush, Reuters, MTS, DNV GL, DNV, Thomson Locations: Everett , Washington, Stockton