Email exchanges uncovered by the BBC reveal the company’s CEO, Stockton Rush, repeatedly dismissing safety warnings about OceanGate’s Titan submarine. The texts, which involve renowned deep-sea exploration specialist Rob McCallum, describe a heated debate in which McCallum warned Rush about the possible risks his clients would face and pleaded with him to postpone the sub’s use until it obtained independent classification.
“I think you are potentially placing yourself and your clients in a dangerous dynamic,” he wrote to the OceanGate boss in March 2018.
“In your race to Titanic, you are mirroring that famous catch cry: ‘She is unsinkable’,” he added.
Despite the sad tragedy that resulted in his death and the deaths of four other passengers during the probable “catastrophic implosion” of the submersible, email conversations reveal Rush’s frustration with the criticism of Titan’s safety precautions.
According to McCallum’s claims to the BBC, he repeatedly recommended the business get the Titan certified before using it for commercial excursions. Remarkably, the vessel never underwent the process of certification or classification.
“Until a sub is classed, tested, and proven it should not be used for commercial deep dive operations,” he wrote in one email.
“I implore you to take every care in your testing and sea trials and to be very, very conservative,” he added. “As much as I appreciate entrepreneurship and innovation, you are potentially putting an entire industry at risk.”
Rush responded a few days later, aggressively defending his company and asserting his abilities and credentials.
He said OceanGate’s “engineering-focused, innovative approach… flies in the face of the submersible orthodoxy, but that is the nature of innovation”.
“I am well qualified to understand the risks and issues associated with subsea exploration in a new vehicle”: Rush
Throughout the conversation, Rush vehemently defended his credentials and questioned the current structure governing deep-sea excursions.
He said “industry players” were trying to stop “new entrants from entering their small existing market”.
“I am well qualified to understand the risks and issues associated with subsea exploration in a new vehicle,” he wrote.’
McCallum then responded in stark terms, writing: “It will be sea trials that determine whether the vehicle can handle what you intend to do with it so again; take care and keep safe.”
“There is a lot more riding on this than Titan and the Titanic,” he said.
OceanGate, founded by Rush in 2009, offered individuals the opportunity to go on deep-sea expeditions, including trips to the legendary Titanic debris, via their Titan’s vessel. Customers interested in participating in this extraordinary event could pay $250,000 (£195,600).’
Concerns about safety
Experts have raised concerns about the Titan’s safety and the regulatory control of private sector deep-sea expeditions. questions have been expressed concerning Titan’s experimental design and use of carbon fiber material in its construction, prompting questions about its reliability and durability.