In the weeks leading up to a tragic undersea disaster, Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate, the company behind the ill-fated Titanic exploration mission, made a hauntingly light-hearted remark, asking “What could go wrong?” during an interview with St John’s Radio in Canada. This interview occurred shortly before the Titan submarine, designed for the exploration of the Titanic wreck off Newfoundland, imploded in June 2023, resulting in the deaths of all five individuals onboard, including Rush himself.
Rush explained his choice of June for the mission, citing calmer sea conditions near the Titanic’s resting place and detailing the Titan’s design and preparation for the voyage. This revelation comes from a Channel 5 documentary, “Minute by Minute: The Titan Sub Disaster,” which investigates the catastrophic event and its aftermath.
The disaster claimed the lives of tourists Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, along with French Navy pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet and Rush. Experts interviewed for the documentary described the passengers’ final moments as excruciating.
Dik Barton, former vice president of RMS Titanic Inc., speculated on the crew’s desperate attempts to stabilize and surface the submersible, emphasizing the unimaginable fear they must have experienced.
The search for the missing submarine captivated the world, with rescue teams, including the Pelagic search team’s Odysseus 6K submersible, eventually locating debris near the Titanic. It was determined that the Titan imploded due to intense water pressure, instantly killing everyone onboard.
