Latest news with #Titan:TheOceanGateSubmersibleDisaster
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Who was Stockton Rush? OceanGate CEO focus of Titan implosion documentary
Who was Stockton Rush? OceanGate CEO focus of Titan implosion documentary Show Caption Hide Caption Newly released footage captures sound of Titan submersible imploding Newly released video appeared to capture the sound of the Titan submersible imploding on its way to visit the Titanic wreck in June 2023. Netflix released "Titan: The OceanGate Disaster" on June 11, a week before the two-year anniversary of the 2023 implosion that killed five people on a voyage to view the wreckage of the Titanic. The documentary focuses on the role of OceanGate CEO Stockon Rush and his role as CEO of OceanGate "his quest to become the next billionaire innovator," according to the documentary's synopsis. "'Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster' makes a belabored point that OceanGate's failings leading to the implosion stemmed from Rush's leadership," Eric Francisco of Esquire wrote. "His short temper and arrogance permeated in all his efforts to build a business around deep-sea commercial tourism." There were five people aboard the submersible on June 18, 2023 and were killed in the implosion: Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French maritime and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and a father and son from one of Pakistan's most prominent families, Shahzada Dawood and Suleman Dawood. A series of hearings were held in 2024 as part of the investigation, and a lawsuit has been filed by the family of Nargeolet, claiming all five passengers probably experienced "terror and anguish" in their final moments. The hearings revealed one of the final messages sent from the crew before it was crushed by the pressure of the ocean: "All good here." Here's what you need to know about Stockton Rush. Who was Stockton Rush? Rush, 61, was a member of a prominent family in San Francisco and a descendant of two signers of the Declaration of Independence, SF Gate reported at the time of the implosion. The outlet reported that he was working as an aerospace engineer for McDonnell Douglas when he married his wife Wendy in 1986. Rush co-founded the company in 2009 and oversaw OceanGate's financial and engineering strategies, company's website said before being taken down in the wake of the implosion, USA TODAY previously reported. Titan danger: Titanic sub took on extreme danger, while 'breaking the rules' "We have heard the baseless cries of 'you are going to kill someone' way too often," Rush wrote in 2018 – according to The Conversation – after being told he was putting lives at risk using his experimental submersible. "I take this as a serious personal insult." In an interview with CBS News Unsung Science, he talked about his dreams of being an explorer − "I wanted to be sort of the Captain Kirk" − and fears about going underwater. "What I worry about most are things that will stop me from being able to get to the surface," he said. Still, he insisted on the safety of submersibles and the value of taking risks. "I mean, if you just want to be safe, don't get out of bed," he said. What happened to Titan? The submersible imploded about 1 hour and 45 minutes after its trip began, resulting in the deaths of its five passengers. Two weeks after the incident, OceanGate said on its website it had suspended "all exploration and commercial operations." Its headquarters in Everett, Washington, were shuttered. Its business license expired on June 7, 2024, according to Washington Department of Revenue records. The nonprofit research wing of the company, called OceanGate Foundation, was launched in 2010 but also closed in 2023, according to department records. OceanGate Inc. also operated a subsidiary, OceanGate Expeditions, out of the same office. According to Washington records, it closed on March 31, 2021. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to investigate what caused the implosion. Contributing: Elizabeth Weise, Isabella Butera, Phaedra Tepham – USA TODAY
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The New OceanGate Documentary Dives Into the Depths of the Titan Submersible Tragedy
Two years ago, OceanGate's Titan submersible imploded in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland. Now, amid ongoing investigations by the U.S. Coast Guard, Netflix has a new documentary that proposes—citing sound evidence and on-camera interviews with sources that were formerly close to OceanGate—just what went wrong on the ill-fated journey to the site of another prolific sea disaster, RMS Titanic. Much of it has to do with OceanGate's eccentric late CEO, Stockton Rush, one of the five victims of the 2023 incident. On June 11, Netflix released the documentary Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster, which documents the circumstances behind the June 2023 incident that spawned countless memes and endless speculation. While the movie dives deep (ahem) into the specifics of the Titan's implosion, including pointing out the submersible's carbon fiber construction that was vulnerable to deep-sea water pressure, the movie points a finger at Rush, who is described by subjects in the movie as "arrogant" with a major "temper." "I worked for somebody that is probably borderline clinical psychopath. Definitely a narcissist," said Tony Nissen, a former engineering director at OceanGate in the movie. "How do you manage a person like that who owns the company?" In the movie, Stockton Rush is described as having a "privileged background" originating from generational wealth; his family tree includes two signers of the Declaration of Independence. Subjects in the film recall Rush hoping to fashion himself as a billionaire explorer like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, with his eyes set on Earth's oceans instead of Mars. "Big swinging dicks" was a term Rush liked to say out loud and often, and being a "big swinging dick" himself was an explicit goal. (Rush was not a billionaire, but he had money to burn nonetheless.) Joseph Assi, a videographer hired by Rush to capture OceanGate's expeditions, says that one of Rush's personal philosophies was that "accessibility is ownership." As Assi says in the documentary: "If there's a small island in the middle of the ocean, and you're the only one you can access it, it doesn't matter who owns it, you have ownership over it because you have the accessibility to get to it. And he truly believed in that." Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster makes a belabored point that OceanGate's failings leading to the implosion stemmed from Rush's leadership. His short temper and arrogance permeated in all his efforts to build a business around deep-sea commercial tourism. This included trying to skip critical testing conducted by third parties—which is standard practice in the industry—and cutting costs where possible, such as in the aforementioned use of carbon fiber materials which cannot sustain oceanic pressure. Rush also verbally stated he could and would "buy a congressman," which alarmed many OceanGate employees. Rob McCallum, a consultant, recalls in the documentary: "Stockton said that he decided that he saw no need for classification, for third-party oversight. I stood up and said, 'I'm sorry I can't be part of this conversation, nor can I be associated with OceanGate or this vehicle in any way.' And I left. He had every contact in the submersible industry telling him not to do this. But once you start down the path of doing it entirely yourself, and you realize you've taken the wrong turn right back at the beginning... You have to admit you were wrong. That's a big pill to swallow." Rush is also described as having a callous attitude towards employees, refusing to take accountability for his failures. For example: In 2016, Rush and OceanGate hosted an expedition to the SS Andrea Doria. The trip nearly ended in disaster after Rush brought their sub into a dangerous spot; David Lochridge, OceanGate's Director of Marine Ops and a more experienced pilot, took over controls and got everyone aboard safely to the surface. Though Rush thanked Lochridge, the CEO turned cold towards him, later excluding him from important communications. Rush eventually fired Lochridge, in a tense meeting heard in the movie via audio recording. Later, Rush suggested promoting another OceanGate employee, Bonnie Carl, to take over Lochridge as the next lead pilot. But Carl was an accountant who headed the HR department, and had no experience as a submersible pilot. Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster is a cut above typical straight-from-the-headlines Netflix documentaries, as a level-headed if straightforward deep dive (again, ahem) about a disaster that dominated the news cycle two summers ago. But while the ins and outs of a deadly trip into the sea have morbid appeal, it's the movie's interrogation of one man's toxic hubris that makes Titan a worthy watch. You Might Also Like Kid Cudi Is All Right 16 Best Shoe Organizers For Storing and Displaying Your Kicks
