Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, a company that explored the Titanic wreckage using a submarine, emphasized the importance of diversity when selecting crews for his missions.
In a 2020 interview, he expressed his desire to move away from the traditional approach followed by other submarine operators, mainly older white males with military submarine experience.
Instead, Rush aimed to assemble a younger and more inspiring team.
He believed that individuals as young as 25, working as sub-pilots, platform operators, or technicians, could be an inspirational source.
He also emphasized the significance of having team members from diverse backgrounds.
However, when tragedy struck on June 18th, and the OceanGate submarine Titan went missing at sea, the person in command was reportedly Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a 77-year-old Frenchman with a military background.
Rush, who had extensive experience leading dives, was also on board during the incident.
Rush, the entrepreneur behind the Titan submarine who graduated from Princeton University, firmly believed that diving into the Atlantic Ocean was not dangerous.
He went as far as to express that prioritizing excessive safety was wasteful.
He once remarked, “There comes a point where excessive focus on safety becomes an unnecessary burden. If one always aims to be safe, then it’s best to remain in bed and avoid any risks altogether.”
Sonar searches detected banging sounds, raising hopes for a time that the five passengers aboard the submarine might still be alive.
Unfortunately, all five passengers perished, confirmed by the debris of the ill-fated sub, were found about a quarter mile from the wreckage of the Titanic ocean liner.
The Titan, a compact 22 feet long, was constructed as a cylindrical vessel featuring an aerospace-grade carbon fiber hull.
Its ends were equipped with titanium hemispheres, and it proudly showcased a sizable viewport window alongside advanced 4K cameras.
These cameras provided those inside the submarine with a captivating view of the marine surroundings.
However, aside from these notable features, the interior of the Titan was intentionally kept minimalistic.
