Concerns Raised by Submersible Expert in Emails Regarding OceanGate CEO’s Motivation in Response to Criticism

• Tragedy Strikes: Five Fatalities in Submersible Dive to Titanic Wreck Organized by OceanGate
• Submarine Expert Karl Stanley Warned OceanGate CEO About Safety Defects in Titan Submersible in 2019
• Stanley Expressed Concerns about Rush’s Impatience and Unwillingness to Conduct Extensive Testing

Years Before Tragedy, OceanGate CEO Warned About Safety Concerns in Titanic Dive

Insider has obtained an email exchange between OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and submarine expert Karl Stanley, which reveals Stanley’s warnings about the stability of the Titan submersible. Stanley, who runs his own deep-sea exploration company, participated in a test dive on the Titan in 2019 and raised concerns about potential defects and the need for extensive testing.

“There comes a time when logic must prevail over impatience,” Stanley wrote. “Without knowing the exact nature of the defect, it is impossible to determine how it will affect the hull’s performance.”

Stanley’s email chain outlined the defect that caused a loud cracking sound during a test dive and advised 50 additional test dives before allowing passengers on board, contrasting with Rush’s proposed seven dives. Rush dismissed Stanley’s suggestions as “arbitrary” and told him to refrain from expressing opinions without access to OceanGate’s analysis.

While Stanley expressed resignation in his emails, noting Rush’s determination despite safety concerns, he also acknowledged that Rush seemed driven by the desire to prove skeptics wrong.

Rush ultimately joined the fatal dive to the Titanic wreckage on the ill-fated Titan submersible. In response to Stanley’s warnings, OceanGate has yet to comment.