OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush’s Remarks Before Fatal Titan Sub Disaster Showed Disregard For Safety: ‘What Could Go Wrong?’

Newly surfaced comments made by OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush before the fatal Titan submersible incident, which claimed the lives of five individuals, have resurfaced ahead of an upcoming documentary.

The documentary, titled Minute by Minute: The Titan Sub Disaster, set to air on the U.K.’s Channel 5, provides a detailed account of the day when the OceanGate submersible vanished in the depths of the North Atlantic. The film features an interview with Rush on St. John’s Radio in Canada, where he reportedly made the ironic remark about the upcoming expedition, “What could go wrong?”

In the interview, Rush also mentioned that they chose to schedule the expedition in June to the wreck of The Titanic and cited the calmer waters around the ship at that time.

On June 18, Rush, along with Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman and billionaire British explorer Hamish Harding, embarked on the journey inside the submersible for the price of $250,000 a person.

Rush had offered discounted rates to try and lure more passengers to go on the trip.

The submersible, sealed from the outside with 18 bolts and weighed down by sandbags and pipes, began its descent towards the legendary shipwreck, commencing a two-and-a-half-hour journey into the depths.

At 5:40 p.m. ET on the same day, the Titan support ship Polar Prince alerted the Coast Guard that the submersible was missing.

Several days later, on June 22, the search efforts concluded with officials confirming the presumed deaths of all five individuals. The discovery of debris likely caused by a “catastrophic implosion” further underscored the tragic outcome. The documentary delves into the search for the vessel and addresses the reported knocking sounds heard in the search area.

In June 2023, reports of sounds detected by search and rescue teams were confirmed by the U.S. Coast Guard, which stated that a Canadian P-3 aircraft had picked up underwater noises in the search area. However, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Briana Carter later clarified that there was no evidence to suggest that the noises originated from inside the vessel.

Carter dispelled rumors of implosion or banging on June 21, three days after the submarine’s disappearance. The Coast Guard’s subsequent announcement on June 22, presuming the deaths of all five passengers, further emphasized that the earlier reports of banging sounds were inconsistent with a “catastrophic implosion.”

OceanGate suspended operations after the disaster.