Resurfaced Audio Shows CEO Of Titan Sub Making Damning Joke Before Fatal Disaster

Just months before the accident claimed his life, the CEO of OceanGate cracked a joke about the dangers of diving down to the Titanic in his Titan submersible.

When Stockton Rush and four other people died on the disastrous seacraft during its very impossible journey, he was only 61 years old.

Unreleased audio from the submersible's search and rescue operations may be found in an ITN documentary titled The Titan Sub Disaster: Minute by Minute, which aired earlier this year.

It also featured a brief clip of the OceanGate CEO discussing his impending trip to the notorious Titanic wreckage in a radio interview.

The Titan submersible was ultimately doomed. OceanGate/Becky Kagan Schott

Rush and the four other passengers—British billionaire Hamish Harding, French marine expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood, and his son Sulaiman—were killed in the sub's deadly implosion on June 18, 2023. 

The disaster was caused by extremely high water pressure and the use of substandard materials in its construction.

Many had cautioned him that the Titan's design might be dangerous for the people on board, thus attention had been drawn to it in the years before the trip.

That's exactly what a former OceanGate employee said in an email, expressing concern for the sub's safety as well as Rush's opinions, which were ultimately disregarded.

Former worker David Lochridge penned: "I don’t want to be seen as a tattle tale but I’m so worried he kills himself and others in the quest to boost his ego."

"I would consider myself pretty ballsy when it comes to doing things that are dangerous, but that sub is an accident waiting to happen."

"There’s no way on earth you could have paid me to dive the thing."

OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush was warned that the sub was an 'accident waiting to happen'. OceanGate

The decision was made only a few days after Lochridge allegedly examined the submersible and discovered numerous issues.

His comments were forwarded to OceanGate project associate Rob McCallum.

By the time of the Titan's tragic dive, both had already left the company due to safety concerns.

Speaking on Canadian radio station St John's Radio a few months before to the Titan sub catastrophe, Rush cracked this joke: "What could go wrong?"

Just over four months later, the Titan sub lost communication while he was on board.

The sub had imploded due to the high water pressure. OceanGate/Becky Kagan Schott

This led to a catastrophic implosion that claimed the lives of all five passengers.

A timeline of the Titan submersible disaster:

OceanGate's Titan submersible begins its descent

Titan, a 21-foot submersible owned by OceanGate Expedition, set off for its voyage to the Titanic debris off the Canadian coast of Newfoundland on June 18, 2023, at 8 a.m. E.T.

The ship carried five people and a 96-hour oxygen supply.

Who was onboard the Titan?

Aboard the vessel were OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, 61, and British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58.

The group also included Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, as well as British-Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son, Suleman.

The Titan loses contact with support vessel

About an hour and forty-five minutes into the Titan's descent, the Polar Prince loses communication with it.

The US Coast Guard was notified that the submersible was overdue a few hours after it was scheduled to surface.

Search operation is launched

On June 19, 2023, the US Coast Guard launched a large-scale operation when the vessel failed to resurface.

The effort was initiated after nearly 24 hours of no contact.

'Banging noises' are detected

Two days after the Titan's disappearance, on June 21, 2023, sonar crews involved in the search detected 'banging noises.'

This discovery briefly gave false hope that the passengers might still be alive.

The Titan's oxygen supply 'runs out'

At 1 p.m. ET on June 22, 2023, it was predicted that the submersible's 96-hour oxygen supply would have run out.

This prediction intensified fears for the crew onboard.

A 'debris field' is discovered, leading to the realisation of a 'catastrophic implosion'

The US Coast Guard confirmed that the Titan was destroyed by a ‘catastrophic implosion’ caused by enormous water pressure and failed materials.

This resulted in the loss of all five people aboard.