Latest news with #OceanGateExpeditions
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Stockton Rush Was Dedicated to Ocean Exploration. His Cofounder Still Is Despite the Deadly Risks
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: In June 2023, the OceanGate Expeditions submersible Titan imploded while descending to the wreckage of the Titanic. All five passengers died. Company cofounder Guillermo Söhnlein has publicly defended his late business partner, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, and ocean exploration more broadly. A year after the disaster, Söhnlein announced plans for his current company to explore Dean's Blue Hole in The Bahamas. On June 16, 2023, OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush and four other passengers left the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, for the thrill of a lifetime—a submersible dive to the sunken Titanic. Tragically, none of them returned to shore. 'They knew what they were getting into,' OceanGate cofounder Guillermo Söhnlein said. 'And yeah, and it's just, it's a sad thing that they died doing something that they were passionate about.' Streaming June 11, the Netflix documentary Titan: The OceanGate Disaster takes a closer look at the titular craft's deadly underwater implosion and the events preceding it. It also examines the business practices of Rush and whether they ultimately played a role in the accident. While Rush's company has drawn intense scrutiny, Söhnlein has rendered a different image of his former business partner—insisting his commitment to exploration is worth continuing. Rush and Söhnlein cofounded OceanGate in 2009 in Seattle. Similar to space tourism brands such as Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic—created by Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson, respectively—the company's mission was to make undersea exploration more accessible. According to Söhnlein, he and Rush planned to purchase a 'fleet' of submersibles capable of diving at least 4,000 meters. The craft could be used for a variety of purposes, including tourism, military operations, and scientific research. 'The whole intent was to create these work subs and, in that way, as our tagline was in the early days: Open the oceans for all of humanity,' Söhnlein told Sky News in 2023. The company's first five-person submersible, Antipodes, followed this model and was used primarily by researchers and what Söhnlein called 'citizen scientists'—or regular people fully trained as crew members for their respective excursions. In June 2011, Antipodes successfully explored the wreckage of the S.S. Governor off the coast of Washington. But by 2013, Rush determined OceanGate needed to build its own craft to explore greater depths as originally intended. That same year, Rush became CEO when Söhnlein left the company, though he maintained a minority stake. He testified that as of September 2024, he had approximately 500,000 common shares but 'basically resigned myself to the fact that I'm probably never going to see anything out of that equity stake.' That's because of what would happen a decade later in the North Atlantic Ocean. In July 2021, OceanGate made its first successful dive to the wreck site of the Titanic, the massive ocean liner that sank on April 14, 1912, and resulted in more than 1,500 deaths. Rush and his team used the company's Titan submersible, which had a unique carbon fiber hull to make it lighter and less expensive to build. But during the expedition in June 2023, team members lost contact with the Titan. After a frantic days-long search for the craft, investigators recovered debris on June 22 and determined the submersible suffered a catastrophic implosion. All five passengers—including Rush, 61, and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77—died. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) later determined that layers of the Titan's carbon fiber hull had begun to delaminate, or break apart, a year prior—ultimately compromising the craft's integrity. This, along with testimony from a former employee saying an accident was 'inevitable,' led to scrutiny of Rush's business and safety practices as company CEO. The Netflix documentary promises to look at 'technical challenges, moral dilemmas, and shockingly poor decisions' that led to the implosion. However, Söhnlein, who has never been on a Titanic dive, has publicly defended Rush. He denied leaving OceanGate over safety concerns and told CTV News that OceanGate 'operated as safely as possible and we had a very safety-conscious culture' prior to his 2013 departure. Then in September 2024, Söhnlein testified to a USCG panel that Rush performed the first manned test dive of Titan on his own and recalled their conversation beforehand. 'He goes, 'I don't want anyone else in the sub. If anything happens, I want it to only impact me. It's my design, I believe in it, I trust it, but I don't want to risk anyone else,'' Söhnlein said. Söhnlein will offer his full thoughts about the Titan tragedy with the November 2025 release of his book, Titan Unfinished: An Untold Story of Exploration, Innovation, and the OceanGate Tragedy. In the wake of the accident, OceanGate suspended 'all exploration and commercial operations.' But Söhnlein, undeterred by his friend's death, has continued to advocate for underwater exploration. In June 2024, he announced plans for his own company, Blue Marble Exploration, to launch a craft to Dean's Blue Hole, an underwater sinkhole located in The Bahamas. Scientists have measured its depth at 663 feet, but no humans have ever reached the bottom. However, Blue Marble Exploration's website currently doesn't include any information about the company or planned excursions to the blue hole or elsewhere. Although it's unclear what the future holds for his company, Söhnlein has expressed hope that the Titan implosion won't deter other explorers and said future missions would be a way to honor the five victims. 'Those of us who work in the deep-ocean community know that there are risks. We know that working down there is difficult,' Söhnlein told the Seattle Times in 2023. 'And yet we all believe in what we're doing. We believe that what we're doing is greater than us.' Titan: The OceanGate Disaster begins streaming Wednesday, June 11, on Netflix. Tudum has confirmed the project includes new testimony about OceanGate and 'footage from the company's early days.' You Might Also Like Nicole Richie's Surprising Adoption Story The Story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Her Mother Queen Camilla's Life in Photos
Toronto Sun
27-05-2025
- General
- Toronto Sun
'WHAT WAS THAT BANG?': Titan submersible's implosion can be heard in new video
Published May 27, 2025 • 1 minute read This undated image courtesy of OceanGate Expeditions, shows their Titan submersible beginning a descent. The US Coast Guard on September 16, 2024, began a hearing over the implosion of the privately owned Titan submersible that killed five people on a journey to the Titanic last year. The two-week hearing into the catastrophe will feature evidence as to what went wrong and whether physical or design failure contributed to the accident, which garnered worldwide attention. Photo by HANDOUT / OceanGate Expeditions/AFP via Ge CONCORD, N.H. — U.S. Coast Guard officials investigating the disappearance of an experimental submersible on its way to the Titanic wreckage in 2023 have released video recorded aboard its support ship from the moment the sound of its implosion reached the ocean's surface. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Titan vanished June 18, 2023, on its way to the wreck of the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean, setting off a five-day search that ended with authorities saying all five passengers had died when the vessel imploded. On board were Stockton Rush, CEO of the company that built the Titan, along with British explorer Hamish Harding, veteran French diver Paul Henri Nargeolet, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman. The implosion sparked international debate about the future of private deep-sea travel and an ongoing Coast Guard investigation. After holding public hearings in September, the Coast Guard last week released a two-and-a-half minute video showing Rush's wife, Wendy Rush, and an OceanGate employee monitoring the submersible's descent from the Polar Prince support ship. The video shows Wendy Rush and Gary Foss sitting in front of a computer. After a faint sound like a closing door, Rush asks, 'What was that bang?' The Coast Guard says it believes it was the sound of the Titan's implosion reaching the surface of the ocean. About 2 minutes later, Foss says, 'We've lost tracking.' Concerns were raised after the implosion because of the Titan's unconventional design and its creator's refusal to submit to independent safety checks. OceanGate suspended operations in July 2023. Olympics Music Canada Columnists Relationships
Hamilton Spectator
24-05-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Video released by U.S. Coast Guard captures moment of Titan submersible implosion
HALIFAX - A new video released by the United States Coast Guard contains a sound investigators believe is the moment the Titan submersible imploded as it dove on the wreck of the Titanic nearly two years ago. The June 18, 2023 implosion claimed the lives of five people, including OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, who was pilot of the submersible. In the video submitted to the coast guard by OceanGate , Rush's wife, Wendy Rush, and Gary Foss — both members of the submersible's tracking team — are shown in front of computer screens in the pilothouse of Titan's support vessel Polar Prince. Shortly into the video a noise can be heard, prompting Wendy Rush to turn to Foss and say: 'What was that bang?' The video continues with the pair seemingly unaware of the significance of the noise, and at another point Wendy Rush acknowledges receiving a text message showing the submersible had dropped two of its weights as it descended. The video — first reported by BBC — was posted Thursday on a U.S. Defense Department website. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
24-05-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Video released by U.S. Coast Guard captures moment of Titan submersible implosion
HALIFAX – A new video released by the United States Coast Guard contains a sound investigators believe is the moment the Titan submersible imploded as it dove on the wreck of the Titanic nearly two years ago. The June 18, 2023 implosion claimed the lives of five people, including OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, who was pilot of the submersible. In the video submitted to the coast guard by OceanGate , Rush's wife, Wendy Rush, and Gary Foss — both members of the submersible's tracking team — are shown in front of computer screens in the pilothouse of Titan's support vessel Polar Prince. Shortly into the video a noise can be heard, prompting Wendy Rush to turn to Foss and say: 'What was that bang?' The video continues with the pair seemingly unaware of the significance of the noise, and at another point Wendy Rush acknowledges receiving a text message showing the submersible had dropped two of its weights as it descended. The video — first reported by BBC — was posted Thursday on a U.S. Defense Department website. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2025.
Toronto Star
24-05-2025
- General
- Toronto Star
Video released by U.S. Coast Guard captures moment of Titan submersible implosion
HALIFAX - A new video released by the United States Coast Guard contains a sound investigators believe is the moment the Titan submersible imploded as it dove on the wreck of the Titanic nearly two years ago. The June 18, 2023 implosion claimed the lives of five people, including OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, who was pilot of the submersible. In the video submitted to the coast guard by OceanGate , Rush's wife, Wendy Rush, and Gary Foss — both members of the submersible's tracking team — are shown in front of computer screens in the pilothouse of Titan's support vessel Polar Prince. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Shortly into the video a noise can be heard, prompting Wendy Rush to turn to Foss and say: 'What was that bang?' The video continues with the pair seemingly unaware of the significance of the noise, and at another point Wendy Rush acknowledges receiving a text message showing the submersible had dropped two of its weights as it descended. The video — first reported by BBC — was posted Thursday on a U.S. Defense Department website. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2025.
