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By Chloe Mayer
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A damning report has laid bare how Titan sub boss Stockton Rush was viewed within the exploration community—with experts branding him a rogue operator who allegedly took careless risks with people's lives by knowingly using unsafe equipment.
A number of experts within the submersible industry spoke to The Times of London about the late CEO of OceanGate—who perished along with four passengers on his ill-fated trip to the wreck of the Titanic—alleging that the "lone wolf" ignored repeated warnings about his craft.
Industry insiders told the British newspaper they had tried to reason with Rush, while others raised their fears officially about the deep sea missions—and some even urged would-be adventurers to avoid the company. Two renowned deep sea navigators said they had begged one of last week's victims not to participate beforehand, with one warning him: "It was only a matter of time before they [OceanGate] kill somebody."
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Rush's submersible, known as Titan, and its mothership the Polar Prince set off from St. John's, Newfoundland, on June 16 for what was advertised as a once-in-a-lifetime trip to see the wreck of the Titanic. Tickets for the descent came with an eye-watering price tag of up to $250,000.
Bad weather had delayed the sub's launch, which eventually took place on June 18. But the dream voyage turned into a nightmare when the mothership lost communication with the sub less than two hours after its journey beneath the Atlantic began, sparking a days-long international rescue effort amid fears the men were trapped below the waves slowly suffocating as their air ran out.
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However, debris was found on Thursday and it is now known that the sub suffered a "catastrophic implosion," killing everyone on board as their vessel was crushed under the pressure of the deep. Rush, 61, died instantly, along with British adventurer Hamish Harding, 58, Pakistani-British businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood, and the French underwater explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet, 77.
As the families are left grieving for their loved ones, whose remains may never be recovered and whose final resting place would be near the mass grave they had gone to view, questions are being asked about the company behind the trip and its founder. Rush has been accused of the same arrogance that saw the Titanic itself branded "unsinkable" before it sank on its maiden voyage.
Sub expert Rob McCallum, who has previously led dives to the Titanic using Russian Mir submersibles, told The Times he had always held terrible fears about Titan and branded Rush an "outlier." OceanGate's submersible had not been classed safe by any third-party experts, and had been built using carbon fiber, which many industry insiders were alarmed about. McCallum said: "OceanGate were the last kids to arrive at the table and had by far the worst possible set-up—the only operator not classed. Stockton Rush was a lone wolf."
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In 2018, former OceanGate employee Dave Lochridge became a whistleblower when he wrote a blistering assessment of Titan's seaworthiness. He claimed flaws in the carbon fiber hull could be ripped apart by the ocean's pressure. In return, Rush fired him and began legal proceedings. The submersible community clubbed together to help fund Lochridge's legal bills. That same year, some 38 industry experts co-signed a letter to Rush urging him to allow his sub to be analyzed and classed. He refused.
McCallum said his own status as a deep sea expert meant that many of OceanGate's potential customers contacted him while they were considering buying a ticket to ask whether he thought Titan was safe. He says he told up to 80 people: "No, I don't. I would never get into an unclassed vehicle."
His actions sparked a furious response from Rush who he alleges once called him to remonstrate with him. "He rang me up and said: 'You blow the whistle on me, I'll tie you up in legal action.' I said: 'I can dial a journalist faster than you can dial a lawyer,'" McCallum told the Times. Despite the alleged threats, he says he continued advising would-be passengers to avoid the firm, including last week's victim Hamish Harding. "I sat down with Hamish and went through things and showed him the flaws and the correspondence. I tried to show him, don't do this."
He wasn't the only expert that Harding had reportedly contacted.
Deep sea pilot said Victor Vescovo told the newspaper: "I talked to Hamish about it and I told him he shouldn't get in that damn sub... it was only a matter of time before they [OceanGate] kill somebody. But Hamish really, really wanted to go to the Titanic and that was the only opportunity." He said Harding had initially seemed responsive to his advice, but "then he convinced himself they [OceanGate] were improving and maybe that people like me were too conservative or that it was worth the risk. He decided to roll the dice."
Newsweek has contacted OceanGate by email seeking comment about claims that Rush ignored repeated safety warnings from his peers and his own staff.
A statement released by the company on Thursday paid tribute to all the victims, saying: "These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world's oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.
"This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss. The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organizations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission."
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