OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush Downplayed 'Really Loud Bang' During Previous Titanic Submarine Trip

OceanGate is facing criticisms left and right after its Titanic submarine, the Titan imploded on its way to the world-famous wreck. It turns out, its CEO, Stockton Rush, has previously downplayed concerns regarding the sub, including a load bang that was heard by passengers during a previous trip.

A clip of the now-deceased OceanGate CEO has surfaced, showing him dismissing concerns that people were raising. It was reportedly part of a BBC documentary about tourist trips to the Titanic, and it showed an OceanGate crew member warning Rush about a "really loud bang" that they heard while the Titan was still on the surface.

However, Stockton Rush merely downplayed these concerns, saying, "Almost every deep-sea sub makes a noise at some point," before pointing to Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who also died on that ill-fated trip. The Frenchman "attested" that the loud bang was normal, according to The Daily Mail.

In that same documentary, which was an episode of the BBC's "The Travel Show," Rush also likened himself to US General Douglas MacArthur, saying, "I'd like to be remembered as an innovator. I think It was General MacArthur who says you're remembered by the rules you break."

Industry experts have repeatedly warned Rush and OceanGate regarding safety concerns on the Titanic submarine, which the CEO has repeatedly dismissed. OceanGate employees also warned him about flaws in the sub's designs, though these employees have been fired. Titanic expert and Oscar-winning director James Cameron has also slammed Rush and his company.

Former OceanGate Pilot Warned That Titanic Submarine Was Not Safe

The former OceanGate employee who raised concerns about the Titan was David Lochridge, the company's chief submersible pilot. He warned the company that the submersible was not safe for diving in 2018.

Lochridge reportedly emailed deep sea exploration specialist Rob McCallum to ask how OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush was taking his 2018 departure. McCallum admitted that Rush was "gutted" because Lochridge was the "star player and the only one that gave me a hint of confidence."

Lochridge reportedly told McCallum in private about his professional assessment of the Titan but was afraid of retaliation from Rush because of his "influence and money."

The deep-sea exploration expert was taken aback by the ex-employee's revelation that the sub was a "lemon," answering, "Oh dear, oh dear."

Lochridge came out in 2018 after inspecting the submersible, revealing that he found "several critical aspects to be defective or unproven." However, Stockton Rush was "furious" following the release of the report after he insisted that no hull testing was necessary.

Oceangate Boasted That the Titanic Submarine Could Detect Hull Defects With 'Incredible Accuracy'

More reveals have shown that OceanGate had been boasting about its safety systems for a few years now. According to Business Insider, the company stated that the Titan could detect hull failure accurately. Its warning system would reportedly alert the pilot to hull flaws long before an implosion.

This boast did not go with what an OceanGate executive previously said in 2018. The executive reportedly admitted that the system would only issue warnings "milliseconds" before danger. The sub imploded while on its way to the Titanic, killing five people, including CEO Stockton Rush.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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