Early Passenger on Titan Sub Learns of Near-Death Experience a Year Later
Karl Stanley, an early passenger on OceanGate's Titan submersible, raised safety concerns about the vessel's hull to OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush after hearing a cracking sound during a dive in April 2019. Despite Stanley's warnings and suggestions for further testing, Rush largely ignored these concerns. An investigation by Wired revealed that a crack in the hull was discovered during an inspection, prompting a delay in the vessel's scheduled trip to the Titanic wreck and necessitating the construction of a new submersible.
On June 18, 2023, the Titan submersible imploded during a dive to the Titanic wreckage, resulting in the deaths of all five passengers, including CEO Stockton Rush. The implosion was attributed to a "catastrophic" failure, and a federal investigation into the incident is ongoing. Additional reports indicate that OceanGate had been repeatedly warned about safety issues with the submersible, and that the vessel had not been certified or classed. Critics, including former OceanGate employees and sea explorer Rob McCallum, have accused the company of neglecting safety warnings in an effort to reduce costs.
