- Rob McCallum expressed his concerns to Bloomberg in 2017, stating that he believed OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush was rushing the process.
- As an experienced explorer, McCallum believed that exploring the ocean should leave nothing to chance.
- McCallum shared with Insider that he considered the Titan tourist submersible unsafe for use.
A marine adventurer, Rob McCallum, who previously consulted for OceanGate, expressed his concerns about the company’s CEO, Stockton Rush, being too hasty and making overly ambitious claims. This played a part in McCallum’s decision to leave the company.
Back in 2009, when OceanGate was just starting, McCallum provided consultation services for the company. The founder of expedition service provider EYOS Expeditions, McCallum shared his worries with Bloomberg in 2017, stating, “I know Stockton well and think the world needs more Stocktons prepared to take a chance. But he’s a full-speed-ahead, damn-the-torpedoes kind of guy, and in the submersible industry, extreme depth is all about precision and control. Nothing can be left to chance.”
In an interview with Insider, McCallum reiterated his concerns about Rush and OceanGate, suggesting that Rush’s approach and the equipment used could have contributed to the submersible going missing. Based on his familiarity with the Titan submersible’s equipment, McCallum also expressed doubts about its safety.
In August 2019, McCallum participated in a Titanic shipwreck expedition with explorer Victor Vescovo using the DSSV Limiting Factor, a two-person submersible made by Triton Submarines. McCallum emphasized the importance of using certified and classed submarines, stating, “I would never dive in an unclassed/uncertified sub.”
Insider reached out to OceanGate for comment, but did not receive an immediate response. Stockton Rush, the founder of OceanGate, is one of the five passengers aboard the missing Titan submersible. Rush’s previous statements about submersible safety have resurfaced following the incident. In a June 2019 interview with Smithsonian Magazine, Rush expressed his belief that regulations have made the commercial submarine industry too safe but hindered its progress. The Titan submersible, unlike other vessels, was not “classed” due to the lengthy approval process it would have entailed, according to an OceanGate statement from February 2019.
At present, rescuers are in a race against time to locate the submersible as it could run out of oxygen by Thursday afternoon. A unified command, consisting of the US Coast Guard, US Navy, Canadian Coast Guard, and OceanGate Expeditions, has been established to continue the search efforts.
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