Latest news with #Submersed:Wonder
Scottish Sun
17 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘Fame-hungry' Titan sub boss Stockton Rush ‘wanted to die at world's most famous shipwreck in high-profile disaster'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TITAN sub boss Stockton Rush intended to die at the wreck of the Titanic, his friend has claimed. The bombshell allegation suggests the OceanGate CEO wasn't simply chasing deep-sea glory, but allegedly orchestrating a high-profile mission designed to etch himself into Titanic legend. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Stockton Rush allegedly wanted to die on the doomed 2023 diving expedition, his pal claimed Credit: Becky Kagan Schott 8 The destroyed submersible pictured on the ocean floor in 2023 Credit: AP 8 Veteran sub expert Karl Stanley made the bombshell allegations about his longtime friend in a book Credit: BBC Karl Stanley, a veteran submersible expert and longtime friend of Rush, made the explosive claim in a new book called Submersed: Wonder, Obsession and Murder in the World of Amateur Submarines. He told author Matthew Gavin Frank: 'Rush's ego was so big, he was willing to die and kill to be pivotal to the character of this story. 'He wanted to go [die] at the wreck [of the Titanic]. 'The more high-profile, the better. He didn't just murder four wealthy people and get paid a cool mill to do it — they are all part of the Titanic mythology now.' According to Stanley, Rush meticulously planned the doomed voyage as a one-way trip. The pal described it as a "death dive" in a "futile" submarine that was never intended to return, The Daily Mail reported. Twelve days after the Titan's catastrophic implosion in June 2023, Stanley messaged Frank via WhatsApp, alleging Rush knew exactly what would happen - and intended for it to. The friend further claimed the OceanGate boss deliberately named the sub after the fictional British liner Titan — the ship in the 1898 novella Futility, which famously sank in eerily similar circumstances to the Titanic. The implication, according to Stanley, is that this was no coincidence, but allegedly part of a calculated bid to tie himself to maritime legends. 'What's that bang?' Chilling moment sound of doomed Titan sub imploding heard from support ship 8 In Frank's telling, Stanley claimed Rush 'needed to compel more than just his own death, and he needed to knowingly fabricate a 'futile' vessel, costumed in a titanic name, as his murder weapon.' He even described the Titan as a 'mousetrap for billionaires.' Asked point-blank if he believed Rush had knowingly killed the other four passengers, Stanley said: 'I know this is what happened.' Those passengers — British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, and renowned Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet — were all killed instantly when the Titan imploded just 1 hour and 45 minutes into its descent. This isn't the first time concerns have been raised about Rush's approach to safety. In 2019, Stanley himself reportedly warned Rush about serious structural issues after a deep test dive in the Bahamas. During that mission, Stanley recalled hearing ominous 'gunshot-like' sounds every few minutes — noises he believed were the sub's carbon fiber hull buckling under pressure. 'The sounds we observed yesterday sounded like a flaw/defect… being crushed/damaged,' he wrote in an email to Rush. He urged OceanGate to pause operations until the problem could be investigated. But Rush allegedly dismissed the warnings. In an icy reply, he reportedly wrote: 'I value your experience and advice on many things, but not on the assessment of carbon fiber pressure hulls… 'I hope you, of all people, will think twice before expressing opinions on subjects in which you are not fully versed.' 8 The 61-year-old died alongside his four passengers on the doomed 2023 voyage 8 The OceanGate CEO, left, was previously branded a 'psychopath' by his employees Credit: AP In response, Stanley painted a chilling picture of what could happen: 'The worst-case scenario of pushing ahead… involves [Triton Submarines CEO] Patrick Lahey and some Russian oligarch tooling around a Russian nesting dolls version of a wreck site in a made-for-TV special, telling his version of how things went wrong. 'I hope you see option B as unacceptable as I do.' The boss of the ill-fated submersible was also branded a 'psychopath' obsessed with fame by former OceanGate staff, according to a new Netflix documentary exposing the lead-up to the 2023 disaster. He had reportedly dismissed safety concerns raised by his team, accusing critics of stifling innovation. Veteran Titanic expedition leader Rob McCallum, who last year told The Sun that the disaster had been 'unavoidable,' is featured in the documentary. 8 The OceanGate expedition killed all five people on board after the sub dramatically imploded 8 McCallum said he repeatedly warned OceanGate that the Titan was unsafe. The sub had never been certified or classed, and McCallum urged Rush to allow independent testing — advice he claims was ignored. He said: 'I run an expedition company that had delivered over 1,500 expeditions — we are not cavalier, we manage risk as far as we can. 'So when OceanGate say things like exploration involves risk, yes it does, but that doesn't give you carte blanche to ignore obvious danger.' Rush, for his part, reportedly accused those voicing safety concerns of attempting to block technological progress.
The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Fame-hungry' Titan sub boss Stockton Rush ‘wanted to die at world's most famous shipwreck in high-profile disaster'
TITAN sub boss Stockton Rush intended to die at the wreck of the Titanic, his friend has claimed. The bombshell allegation suggests the OceanGate CEO wasn't simply chasing deep-sea glory, but allegedly orchestrating a high-profile mission designed to etch himself into Titanic legend. Advertisement 8 Stockton Rush allegedly wanted to die on the doomed 2023 diving expedition, his pal claimed Credit: Becky Kagan Schott 8 The destroyed submersible pictured on the ocean floor in 2023 Credit: AP 8 Veteran sub expert Karl Stanley made the bombshell allegations about his longtime friend in a book Credit: BBC Karl Stanley, a veteran submersible expert and longtime friend of Rush, made the explosive claim in a new book called Submersed: Wonder, Obsession and Murder in the World of Amateur Submarines. He told author Matthew Gavin Frank: 'Rush's ego was so big, he was willing to die and kill to be pivotal to the character of this story. 'He wanted to go [die] at the wreck [of the Titanic]. 'The more high-profile, the better. He didn't just murder four wealthy people and get paid a cool mill to do it — they are all part of the Titanic mythology now.' Advertisement Read more on the Titan Sub According to Stanley, Rush meticulously planned the doomed voyage as a one-way trip. The pal described it as a "death dive" in a "futile" submarine that was never intended to return, Twelve days after the Titan's catastrophic implosion in June 2023, Stanley messaged Frank via WhatsApp, alleging Rush knew exactly what would happen - and intended for it to. The friend further claimed the OceanGate boss deliberately named the sub after the fictional British liner Titan — the ship in the 1898 novella Futility, which famously sank in eerily similar circumstances to the Titanic. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Exclusive Exclusive The implication, according to Stanley, is that this was no coincidence, but allegedly part of a calculated bid to tie himself to maritime legends. 'What's that bang?' Chilling moment sound of doomed Titan sub imploding heard from support ship 8 In Frank's telling, Stanley claimed Rush 'needed to compel more than just his own death, and he needed to knowingly fabricate a 'futile' vessel, costumed in a titanic name, as his murder weapon.' He even described the Titan as a 'mousetrap for billionaires.' Advertisement Asked point-blank if he believed Rush had knowingly killed the other four passengers, Stanley said: 'I know this is what happened.' Those passengers — British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, and renowned Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet — were all killed instantly when the Titan imploded just 1 hour and 45 minutes into its descent. This isn't the first time concerns have been raised about Rush's approach to safety. In 2019, Stanley himself reportedly warned Rush about Advertisement During that mission, Stanley recalled hearing ominous 'gunshot-like' sounds every few minutes — noises he believed were the sub's carbon fiber hull buckling under pressure. 'The sounds we observed yesterday sounded like a flaw/defect… being crushed/damaged,' he wrote in an email to Rush. He urged OceanGate to pause operations until the problem could be investigated. But Rush allegedly dismissed the warnings. Advertisement In an icy reply, he reportedly wrote: 'I value your experience and advice on many things, but not on the assessment of carbon fiber pressure hulls… 'I hope you, of all people, will think twice before expressing opinions on subjects in which you are not fully versed.' 8 The 61-year-old died alongside his four passengers on the doomed 2023 voyage 8 The OceanGate CEO, left, was previously branded a 'psychopath' by his employees Credit: AP Advertisement In response, Stanley painted a chilling picture of what could happen: 'The worst-case scenario of pushing ahead… involves [Triton Submarines CEO] Patrick Lahey and some Russian oligarch tooling around a Russian nesting dolls version of a wreck site in a made-for-TV special, telling his version of how things went wrong. 'I hope you see option B as unacceptable as I do.' The boss of the ill-fated submersible was also He had reportedly dismissed safety concerns raised by his team, accusing critics of stifling innovation. Advertisement Veteran Titanic expedition leader Rob McCallum, who 8 The OceanGate expedition killed all five people on board after the sub dramatically imploded 8 McCallum said he repeatedly warned OceanGate that the Titan was unsafe. Advertisement The sub had never been certified or classed, and McCallum urged Rush to allow independent testing — advice he claims was ignored. He said: 'I run an expedition company that had delivered over 1,500 expeditions — we are not cavalier, we manage risk as far as we can. 'So when OceanGate say things like exploration involves risk, yes it does, but that doesn't give you carte blanche to ignore obvious danger.' Rush, for his part, reportedly accused those voicing safety concerns of attempting to block technological progress. Advertisement How the Titan tragedy unfolded By FIVE men plunged beneath the surface of the North Atlantic in a homemade sub in a bid to explore the Titanic wreckage. Four passengers paid £195,000 each to go on the sub, with the fifth member of the trip being a crew member. But what was supposed to be a short trip spiralled into days of agony as the doomed Titan vanished without a trace on June 18, 2023. The daring mission had been months in the making - and almost didn't happen at the hands of harsh weather conditions in Newfoundland, Canada. In a now chilling Facebook post, passenger Hamish Harding wrote: "Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023. "A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow." It would be his final Facebook post. The following morning, he and four others - led by Stockton Rush - began the 12,5000ft descent towards the bottom of the Atlantic. But as it made its way down into the depths, the vessel lost all contact with its mother ship on the surface, the Polar Prince. It sparked a frantic four-day search for signs of life, with the hunt gripping the entire world. There was hope that by some miracle, the crew was alive and desperately waiting to be saved. But that sparked fears rescue teams faced a race against time as the passengers only had a 96-hour oxygen supply when they set out, which would be quickly dwindling. Then, when audio of banging sounds was detected under the water, it inspired hope that the victims were trapped and signalling to be rescued. It heartbreakingly turned out that the banging noises were likely either ocean noises or from other search ships, the US Navy determined. Countries around the world deployed their resources to aid the search, and within days the Odysseus remote-operated vehicle (ROV) was sent down to where the ghostly wreck of the Titanic sits. The plan was for the ROV to hook onto the sub and bring it up 10,000ft, where it would meet another ROV before heading to the surface. But any hopes of a phenomenal rescue were dashed when Odysseus came across a piece of debris from the sub around 1,600ft from the Titanic. The rescue mission tragically turned into a salvage task, and the heartbroken families of those on board were told the devastating news. It was confirmed by the US Coast Guard that the sub had suffered a "catastrophic implosion".
New York Post
25-05-2025
- New York Post
Underwater horror: Shocking details about the murder of journalist Kim Wall, killed in Danish inventor's homemade submarine
Peter Madsen, a self-taught Danish engineer and inventor, had a favorite pickup line he liked to use on women: 'You want to see my submarine?' It wasn't a joke. In 2008, when Madsen was 37 , he constructed the UC3 Nautilus, which at the time was the largest amateur submarine in the world. He built it in his private lab, in a shipyard lab off the coast of Copenhagen, Denmark. Though he was married at the time, he would often 'frequent BDSM clubs and private fetish parties,' seeking out what he called 'a web of 'crazy ladies' on the side,' writes Matthew Gavin Frank in his new book, 'Submersed: Wonder, Obsession, and Murder in the World of Amateur Submarines' (Pantheon), out June 3rd. 6 Amateur submarine builder Peter Madsen is serving a life sentence for the murder of Kim Wall. Advertisement His obsession with submarines (and women) ended with deadly consequences. On August 11, 2017, he agreed to take Swedish journalist Kim Wall, who was writing a story about him, on a brief submarine journey in Køge Bay. The 30-year-old woman was brutally assaulted and murdered by Madsen, who was 46 at the time. Wall's torso washed up on a beach almost two weeks later, and her various other body parts were eventually discovered. Madsen was accused of torturing Wall before killing her, dismembering her body, and having 'sexual relations other than intercourse of a particularly dangerous nature,' according to court records, with stab wounds found in and around Wall's genitals. It was shocking that Madsen, who had no previous history of violence, could commit such a horrifying crime. But as Frank argues, a passion for submarines 'can ruin a person for the surface,' and sometimes the compulsion to sink to great depths can 'dovetail with darker, more threatening traits.' Advertisement Madsen may have acted alone, but he was part of an 'eccentric micro-community of DIY submersible enthusiasts,' writes Frank. And their fascination with underwater travel might be symptomatic of something more sinister than just Jacques Cousteau fantasies. Since 2002, the PSUBS (or 'personal submersibles') collective has held an annual convention in Muskegon, Michigan, where hundreds of would-be submarine engineers — mostly white men ranging in age from their 20s to their 70s — gather to discuss their hobby and show off their inventions. They are self-described 'misfits' who live off the grid and 'have a distrust of government ranging from healthy to conspiratorial,' writes Frank. The lure of submarines is about more than just mastering the sea. For them, it's an escape. Water is where 'those prescient enough to have the machines to pilot themselves there can retreat and start fresh once we've sufficiently depleted the land,' the author asserts. Most of the mean are self-taught, avoiding a formal education for a DIY aesthetic. Advertisement 'Just like looking up how to fix a leaking faucet, Google can show you how to build a personal sub,' one of the men, Hank Pronk, told the author. The 60-year-old inventor is self-employed as a house mover, but taught himself submarine engineering by watching online videos. 6 The crime — and the subculture behind it — is the subject of a new book. In 2020, Pronk, who is based in Fairmont Hot Springs, B.C., built the Elementary 3000. It has pressure-tested to reach 3,000 feet below the sea and, as of this writing, is the deepest-diving homemade submarine in the world. Shanee Stopnitzky, one of the few female members in the personal submersible community, left her PhD program in marine biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 2018 to devote herself to building 'experimental submarines.' She's built several, including one that she's named 'Fangtooth' that was originally painted yellow, but she recently repainted white because, as Stopnitzky told the author, she 'never wants to hear the Beatles song again.' Advertisement Another submarine, which she's named Noctiluca, was purchased from a 'private person' on Craigslist for $60,000.' She joked with the author that finding a great deal on a submarine on Craigslist involves putting 'wife' in the search parameters, 'because once a wife decides something's gotta go, it's, like, really gotta go, and that's how you get the best deals.' Albrecht Jotten, a German immigrant who lives in a one-room cabin in the woods of Homer, Alaska, dropped out of society to 'work on my art,' he told the author. His 'art' being home-made submarines. During his conversation with Frank, Jotten gestured towards his library of books, indicating that one day he will be written about like history's other great thinkers. 'The Navy will contact me,' he insisted. 'They'll have me conduct sweeps, ballistic missile research, radar cross-sectioning, flying infrared nuclear signature evaluation, build their anechoic chambers. They know I know how to stay invisible.' 6 On August 11, 2017, Madsen agreed to take Swedish journalist Kim Wall, who was writing a story about him, on a brief submarine journey in Køge Bay He also confessed to Frank that he believes the biggest genius who ever lived was Adolf Hitler. 'Look at everything he was able to do, and all of the people he influenced,' Jotten said. As for Madsen, his original goal was to become a rocket scientist, but he opted against it because it would mean spending more time in school. '[He] felt that the sea might be a space wherein he could indulge his passions and his desire to be a loner,' writes Frank. So instead, he pursued an independent education, taking welding courses and apprenticing with various engineers. After raising $200,000 in donations (for what he described as 'the ultimate art project… A political message about individual freedom'), he built Nautilus, a submarine where he felt more comfortable, 'away from the judgmental eyes of the surface dwellers,' writes Frank. But what caused his brain to snap, and for so many amateur submarine enthusiasts to become so … eccentric? Advertisement 6 Wall's torso washed up on a beach almost two weeks later, and her various other body parts were eventually discovered. Madsen was accused of torturing Wall before killing her, AP Dr. Ernest Campbell, a surgeon and diving medicine specialist, told the author that people obsessed with undersea exploration 'have different chemistries and personalities' than the rest of us, mostly because 'of the effects of various gases under pressure.' Breathing air under increased pressure can mess with the brain in much the same way that alcohol and drugs do, says Dr. David Sawatzky, an expert in diving medicine. Symptoms can include 'laughter, excitement, euphoria, overconfidence, terror, panic, impaired manual dexterity, idea fixation, decreased perception, hallucinations, stupor, and unconsciousness,' says Sawatzky. It's also a womb fantasy, writes Frank, a need to escape your own self, which is 'similar to the sort of 'regenerative dissociation' that also manifests in those who commit murder.' How might one of them react, Frank wonders, if a woman enters the safe space of their submarine? Would they 'be perceived as threats?' Frank writes. 'Does the fantasy become perforated, reminders of the outside, upper world slipping through the cracks?' Advertisement When Madsen was charged with murder in early 2018, his behavior during the first day of court suggested he wasn't thinking clearly. Meeting with journalists outside the courthouse, he spoke of having 'quite ordinary loving erotic intercourse' with many women on board Nautilus, writes Frank. 'He spoke of enjoying red lipstick, stilettos, and nylon stockings. He waved his arms in the air as he said this, (like) some terrible marionette.' 6 Hank Pronk has built the deepest-diving homemade submarine in the world. Hank Pronk/ Facebook During his own testimony, he brought up the movie Terminator 2 repeatedly and compared himself to the titular character, 'hinting at his latent desire to become part of the machines he built,' Frank writes. 'Madsen expressed that a part of him was Nautilus, and Nautilus was him. They shared a brain and a vision.' When Wall died in his submarine, he said, he 'smacked her cheeks to try to reboot her.' As for what caused Wall's death, Madsen gave several explanations. At first, he explained that she'd been hit by the 150-pound hatch door, but the medical report showed no signs of head trauma. He also claimed that she'd inhaled poisonous exhaust, but that was also contradicted by coroners. Advertisement He never admitted to killing her, but Madsen did confess to dismembering Wall's body, allegedly while he was in a state of 'suicidal psychosis,' in his words. Although police found Google searches and videos of women being tortured and beheaded on his computer, he denied any knowledge. Today, Madsen is serving a life sentence at Herstedvester Prison, outside of Copenhagen. He still likes to build things in the prison workshop, but he has far less access since 2020, when he created a wooden 'gun' and used it in an attempted jailbreak. 6 Shanee Stopnitzky is one of the few female members in the personal submersible community. Shanee Stopnitzky Advertisement 'When he was recaptured five minutes later, five hundred meters from the prison, he lifted up his shirt and exposed an explosives belt,' Clark writes. 'If the guards did not let him go, he said, he would detonate it. The belt, too, turned out to be fake, fabricated in the prison's carpentry workshop.' In prison, as in life, Madsen continues to dream of escape, convinced he could build the perfect tool to make it happen.
