Titanic Visitor Claims He Was Prepared for Possible Death

• A year ago, Mike Reiss embarked on a daring journey to visit the Titanic in OceanGate’s Titan submersible.
• Reiss reflects on his awareness of potential danger as he said goodbye to his wife before the dive.
• He believes that the five individuals currently missing aboard the Titan would have shared the same understanding of the risks involved.

During his visit to the Titanic shipwreck last year, a former passenger of the Titan submersible acknowledges his acceptance of the potential dangers involved, echoing the presumed understanding of the missing crew.

The Titan submersible has been missing since Sunday, initiating an extensive search and rescue operation for both the submersible and its occupants after losing contact with the surface vessel less than two hours into the dive.

Mike Reiss, best known as a writer and producer for The Simpsons, recounted his experience of embarking on the same expedition using OceanGate’s Titan submersible to explore the Titanic. Reiss mentioned the signing of a waiver that repeatedly mentioned the possibility of death.

Reiss described the experience as reminiscent of being a Mercury astronaut, emphasizing the gravity of the situation rather than a leisurely vacation. He expressed a constant mix of excitement and trepidation, fully aware of the potential risks involved.

Unfortunately, Reiss’s wife tested positive for COVID, preventing her from joining him on the voyage. As he bade her farewell, he acknowledged the possibility that it might be their last meeting. Reiss emphasized that no one involved in the expedition entered with the expectation of a pleasure cruise, including the experts leading the mission.

It should be noted that Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, was also aboard the submersible when it went missing.

Despite the efforts to ensure safety, Reiss recognized that the journey carried inherent risks, and everyone involved understood the potential consequences.

The US Coast Guard estimates that the submersible has approximately 70 to 96 hours of oxygen remaining, implying a potential survival until Thursday afternoon Eastern time at the latest.