The missing Titanic submarine owner admitted his biggest fear was getting stuck underwater in the submersible.
OceanGate Expeditions founder and CEO Stockton Rush, who is among the five missing aboard the Titan submarine, made the haunting confession after claiming there were no safety concerns regarding his vessel.
The boss of the company Stockton Rush, 61, is on the submersible along with Pakistani British-based businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Sulaiman Dawood, British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and French submersible pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet.
The vessel disappeared on Sunday morning, and officials fear for those on board as they have just a few hours of oxygen left.
And during an interview last year, Mr Rush revealed he was scared of the submarine getting stuck 13,000ft underwater and not being able to escape back up to the surface.
He told the Unsung Science podcast: “What I worry about most are things that will stop me from being able to get to the surface.
“Overhangs, fish nets, entanglement hazards. And, that’s just a technique, piloting technique.
“It’s pretty clear — if it’s an overhang, don’t go under it. If there is a net, don’t go near it. So, you can avoid those if you are just slow and steady.”
In December 2022, Mr Rush hit back at claims his submarine was unsafe and said the only way he could launch the vessel was by taking risks.
He told CBS: “You know, at some point, safety just is a pure waste. I mean, if you just want to be safe, don’t get out of bed.
"At some point, you’re going to take some risk, and it really is a risk/reward question. I think I can do this just as safely by breaking the rules.”
Passengers who board the Titan have to sign a waiver which makes clear it is an "experimental vessel" that had not been “approved or certified by any regulatory body, and could result in physical injury, emotional trauma or death.”
The company, which charges up to $250,000 for the Titanic wreckage tours, also decided against having the craft 'classed', an industry-wide practice whereby independent inspectors ensure vessels meet accepted technical standards.
In 2019, the company said that seeking classification for the submarine would not "ensure that operators adhere to proper operating procedures and decision-making processes – two areas that are much more important for mitigating risks at sea".
In addition, a letter was sent to Stockton Rush, the OceanGate CEO, warning him that "the current 'experimental approach' of the company could result in problems 'from minor to catastrophic.'
It remains unclear if Mr Rush, or a fellow employee, responded to the letter, and there was no additional information on why the company's approach was considered dangerous, according to the New York Times, who obtained the letter.
A former employee of OceanGate Expeditions also raised "safety concerns" over the vessel but was reportedly "met with hostility" before being sacked, according to court documents.
David Lochridge had raised concerns over "safety and quality control issues regarding the Titan to OceanGate executive management", the filings said.
He was worried about a "lack of non-destructive testing performed on the hull of the Titan", and that he "stressed the potential danger to passengers of the Titan as the submersible reached extreme depths".
Mr Lochridge was later relieved from his job, according to court documents.
