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Long before the OceanGate tragedy, safety concerns had been raised about its underwater vessel.
OceanGate had made several successful dives in the past, yet former passengers, as well as employees questioned how it was built, and its lack of performance testing.
"No. It was not safe," said Arthur Loibl, a 61-year-old retired businessman and adventurer from Germany.
In 2019, he paid $110,000 to explore the Titanic with OceanGate. But, that journey fell through after the company's first submersible didn't survive testing.
Then, two years later he went on a voyage that was successful, though he recalled conditions that weren't ideal.
"We are sitting on the bottom. There's no seat. You cannot stand. You cannot kneel or stay on your knees," said Loibl.
Two previous employees raised safety concerns when the ship was built. One lawsuit says the company did not perform adequate testing on the Titan's hull.
And the head of the Marine Technology Submarine Committee says the Titan never went through independent testing.
MORE: https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/concerns-raised-before-oceangate-implosion/509-6c6c1548-e626-4b1e-bab1-4e8025c75b1b