Titanic submersible was 'mousetrap for billionaires', claims friend of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush (WATCH)
In an interview with 60 Minutes Australia, close friend of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, Karl Stanley, stated that "it was the carbon fibre tube that was the mechanical part that failed" which led to the implosion of Titanic submersible.
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FollowA close friend of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who tragically died in the Titan submersible last month when it imploded during the Titanic wreckage expedition, has claimed that Rush was aware that the trips involving the carbon fibre and titanium craft would "end in a disaster," but continued developing what he referred to as a "mousetrap for billionaires."
In an interview with 60 Minutes Australia, Karl Stanley, the friend of Stockton Rush, expressed his concerns about the dangerous design of the submersible. He firmly believed that Rush knew the risks involved and metaphorically went out with the biggest impact in human history.
"He definitely knew it was going to end like this. He quite literally and figuratively went out with the biggest bang in human history that you could go out with. He was the last person to murder two billionaires at once and have them pay for the privilege," he told the outlet.
"I think Stockton was designing a mousetrap for billionaires," Stanley added.
Stanley further shared his firsthand experience of going on a test dive with Rush in the Bahamas back in 2019. He firmly believes that the implosion of Titan was caused by the failure of the carbon fibre tube, leading to loud gunshot-like noises every three to four minutes during the dive. "Every three to four minutes there were loud gunshot-like noises. It's a heck of a sound to hear when you are that far under the ocean," he said.
According to Stanley, he repeatedly communicated his worries to Rush through furious calls and emails, expressing concerns about the carbon fibre hull breaking down. He even painted a vivid picture of a wrecked sub at the bottom of the ocean to highlight the potential dangers. Despite the warnings, Rush continued with the project, risking both his life and the lives of his customers to make a mark in history.
"I literally painted a picture of his wrecked sub at the bottom, and even that isn't enough. He was risking his life and his customers' lives to go down in history," he said during the interview.
Recently, a difficult search-and-recovery operation brought to light presumed human remains from the wreckage of the Titan sub. Mangled debris from the small submersible was offloaded in eastern Canada. Additionally, a debris field was found on the seafloor, 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic, resting more than two miles below the ocean's surface and approximately 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland.
The tragic accident claimed the lives of several notable individuals, including British explorer Hamish Harding, French submarine expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani-British tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, and OceanGate Expeditions' CEO, Stockton Rush. The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety and risks associated with deep-sea exploration, especially in submersibles intended for private use by wealthy individuals.
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