A wealthy financier who reveals that he declined multiple invitations to join Sunday’s dive on a Titanic touring submersible has released text message exchanges with the late CEO of the company. The CEO, Stockton Rush, allegedly reassured the financier that the dive was safe and defended the submersible as safer than scuba diving.
Initially, the financier, Jay Bloom, planned to reserve two seats for himself and his son on OceanGate Exploration’s Titan submersible in May. However, weather delays and concerns from his son about the risks involved led to their withdrawal from the dive. The dive was rescheduled for June 18th, the date of the tragic incident that claimed the lives of Stockton Rush and four others.
In a Facebook post, Bloom shared text messages in which Rush offered him a discounted price and even suggested a video call with his son to address any concerns. Rush claimed in the messages that the submersible was safer than flying in a helicopter or scuba diving, citing the absence of injuries in non-military submarine dives over the past 35 years.
This is not the first time Rush expressed criticism of safety regulations in the commercial sub-industry. In a 2019 interview with Smithsonian, he argued that these regulations stifled innovation. Bloom described Rush as being absolutely convinced that the dive was safer than crossing the street.
Bloom eventually withdrew from the dive due to a scheduling conflict, and his two seats were given to Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman Dawood, both of whom tragically lost their lives. Suleman’s aunt revealed that he was also hesitant about making the dive initially but agreed to do it because it was Father’s Day.
In his Facebook post, Bloom concluded with the reminder to seize the day, as tomorrow is never guaranteed. Authorities are currently investigating the incident and raising concerns about the design and capabilities of the submersible. Previous passengers and a former OceanGate employee have reported numerous issues and filed lawsuits, alleging that the vessel was unsafe and required additional testing.
Passengers were reportedly warned about the risk of death and were required to sign waivers acknowledging the possibility. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
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