- A renowned deep-sea explorer revealed that the entire submersible industry had warned Stockton Rush about the Titan.
- However, Rush was unstoppable as OceanGate operated in international waters.
- According to Victor Vescovo, Rush believed he would become the “Elon Musk of the ocean” (as reported by Outside Online).
A former naval officer renowned for exploring the most treacherous depths of the ocean revealed that the submersible industry, as a whole, warned Stockton Rush about the safety of his Titanic-touring vessel. However, Rush operated in international waters, rendering him unstoppable as the CEO of OceanGate.
Victor Vescovo, a retired Navy intelligence officer and current hedge fund manager, described Rush’s belief in becoming the “Elon Musk of the ocean” (according to an interview with Outside Online).
Vescovo further explained that Rush disregarded not only occasional warnings but the entire industry’s concerns, stating, “Dude, you need to stop doing this.” Vescovo also highlighted the lack of international enforcement on the high seas as the reason why he couldn’t intervene. According to The New Yorker, several deep-diving explorers, including Vescovo, refused to support Rush’s trips to the Titanic.
“I didn’t even want the appearance that I was sanctioning his operation,” Vescovo stated.
OceanGate developed a five-man submersible called the Titan using a mix of carbon fiber and titanium, which diverged from conventional materials for withstanding undersea pressure. Rush utilized the Titan to conduct tours of the Titanic’s shipwreck, located approximately 13,000 feet beneath the surface.
Reports continue to emerge regarding Rush’s disregard for expert advice on the Titan’s safety standards and its lack of classification for deep-sea exploration. David Lochridge, a senior employee and submarine pilot at OceanGate, warned Rush in 2018 about the inadequacy of the safety system around the Titan’s hull, noting its minimal capability to detect breaches before disaster (as mentioned in a lawsuit filed by Lochridge).
However, Lochridge was promptly dismissed upon submitting his report. He shared the report with OSHA, which subsequently informed the US Coast Guard about his concerns. The response of the US Coast Guard to Lochridge’s report remains undisclosed.
Despite manufacturing part of the Titan in a Seattle workshop, OceanGate conducted their Titanic tours outside US jurisdiction. Stefan B. Williams, a professor at the Australian Centre for Field Robotics, revealed that OceanGate managed to bypass stringent safety regulations due to their operation in international waters.
Although Rush consistently brushed aside expert warnings on the Titan, his colleagues and close friends defended him, emphasizing his ambition and commitment to safety (as reported by Yahoo News and Princeton Alumni Weekly).
On June 18, the Titan went missing and was discovered imploded on the ocean floor. All five passengers, including Rush, were declared deceased.
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