Stockton Rush, the co-founder and CEO of OceanGate behind the Titan submarine, knew it would eventually kill him but kept the venture going because he knew he wouldn’t be held accountable, a friend told authorities this week.
Karl Stanley, of the Honduras-based Roatan Deepsea Exploration Institute, testified Tuesday before a U.S. Coast Guard panel investigating the June 2023 ship explosion.
The disaster occurred while the ship was en route to the site of the Titanic. Five people were killed, including Rush.
Titan exploded less than two hours after it began its descent to the crash site on June 18, 2023.
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A general view of the Titan submarine in the Bahamas in May 2018. The Titan exploded during the Titanic sighting mission on Monday, June 19, 2023. (Becky Kagan Schott)
“He knew it was going to end like this, and he wasn’t going to be responsible,” Stanley, Rush’s longtime friend, testified Tuesday during a Coast Guard inquiry into the disaster.
“But he will be the most famous of all his famous brothers,” Stanley said of Rush, a descendant of the Declaration of Independence couple.
Stanley, a submersible expert who has known Rush for 10 years, said he heard cracking noises during an April 2019 sea test dive on the Titan prototype, as well as other problems like weight loss, in the Bahamas.
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Rush’s longtime friend, Karl Stanley, testified during the hearing. (US Coast Guard)
Stanley emailed Rush about those concerns, but was brushed off, he said.
“I also feel that this email exchange has disturbed our relationship from before,” he said. “I think I pushed things as far as I could without him telling me to shut up and never speak again.”
He added that Rush wanted to “leave his mark on history,” which led him to ignore the main problem with the submersible.
“The definition of an accident is something that happens unexpectedly and by chance,” he said at the end of Tuesday’s hearing. “There is nothing unexpected about this. It is expected by everyone who has access to a little information.”
Coast Guard members of the board of inquiry for the official hearing of the Titan sea board take the oath in Charleston County Council Chambers Monday, September 16, 2024, in North Charleston, SC (AP Photo/Mic Smith)
“And I think that if it’s not an accident, then there must be some level of crime. And if it’s a crime, I have to understand correctly, you have to understand the motive of the criminal. Since Stockton has a desire to leave a mark in history,” said Stanley.
Stanley also said he sees OceanGate’s characterization of paid passengers as “mission specialists” as an attempt to avoid accountability.
“It’s clear to dodge with trying to get around US regulations with passengers,” he said.
In addition, the company’s “entire business plan makes good sense,” Stanley said. He also said he felt the implosion ultimately stemmed from Rush’s desire to leave a mark on history.
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The Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) released remotely operated vehicle footage of the Titan submarine’s stern dome, stern ring, hull remains and carbon fiber debris on the seabed ahead of upcoming technical testimony for the Titan MBI hearing in North Charleston, South Carolina. (US Coast Guard video courtesy of Pelagic Research Services)
Amber Bay, director of administration for OceanGate, said the company would not “do dangerous diving just to meet a need.”
However, he agreed that the company wanted to send it to those who paid $250,000 and were encouraged to participate as “mission specialists.”
“There’s definitely an urgency to deliver what’s on offer and dedication and perseverance to that end,” the Coast Guard panel said.
The Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation (MBI) released footage of a remotely operated vehicle from the aft dome of the submarine Titan, the stern ring, the rest of the hull. (US Coast Guard video courtesy of Pelagic Research Services)
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Last week, the Coast Guard released video footage of the wreckage of the Titan strewn across the ocean floor. Remotely operated vehicle footage shows the submersible’s rear dome, rear ring, hull remains and carbon fiber debris lying on the seabed in Newfoundland, Canada.
Greg Wehner of Fox News Digital as well as The Associated Press contributed to this report.
