Boss of missing Titanic submersible once called his industry ‘obscenely safe’
- OceanGate’s Stockton Rush previously criticised strict passenger vessel regulations for stifling commercial innovation
- The ‘daredevil inventor’ is understood to be on board the submersible that lost contact with the surface last week
At the time of publication, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush is understood to be aboard the Titan, the submersible that lost contact with the surface on Sunday, prompting fears for his safety.
The vessel, which set out with four other passengers to view the wreck of the Titanic, was believed as of early Tuesday to have between 70 and 96 hours of oxygen left, according to the coastguard.
Rush’s efforts to advance the commercial submersible industry – which is distinct from the world of submarines – have been well documented in the media.
Describing the industry in a 2019 interview, Rush said that there have been no injuries in the field for decades, adding: “It’s obscenely safe, because they have all these regulations. But it also hasn’t innovated or grown – because they have all these regulations.”