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Weed opens up about disconcerting conversation with OceanGate CEO
The Discovery Channel cameraman says that Rush had a “very strange” discussion regarding the potential outcome if they are to become lost while trapped inside the submersible, which tragically imploded last month with five individuals on boards.
London: Discovery Channel cameraman Brian Weed, who participated in a test dive aboard the ill-fated Titan submersible, has made startling revelations about OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush.
Weed, who was part of the TV show 'Expedition Unknown' in May 2021, shared details of a disconcerting conversation with Rush.
During an interview with foreign media, Weed disclosed that Rush had a "very strange" discussion regarding the potential outcome if they were to become lost while trapped inside the submersible, which tragically imploded last month with five individuals on board.
According to Weed, Rush allegedly mentioned that there were four or five days' worth of oxygen on board, but if they were not found, they would meet a fatal end.
The cameraman found Rush's perspective on life and death in such dire circumstances to be nihilistic and unsettling. Weed also expressed concerns about Rush's "cavalier" attitude towards basic safety measures, which created unease from the outset of the test dive. He described the dive as riddled with mechanical and communications issues and ultimately aborted.
Following widespread backlash and intense scrutiny over safety protocols, OceanGate has decided to indefinitely suspend all activities. The Titan submersible was reported missing on June 18, and on June 22, the US Coast Guard confirmed that the vessel had suffered a catastrophic implosion, ending the rescue operation that had captured global attention.
OceanGate, based in the United States, announced on its website that it has halted all exploration and commercial operations as a result of the tragic incident. The company's CEO, Stockton Rush, was among those who perished. The other victims included British explorer Hamish Harding, French submarine expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and Pakistani-British tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman.
Recently, experts recovered presumed human remains from the wreckage of the sub, which was located on the ocean floor and brought to the port of St John's in Newfoundland, Canada. The victims are believed to have died instantly when the Titan, roughly the size of an SUV, collapsed under the immense pressure of the North Atlantic at a depth of over two miles (nearly four kilometers). A debris field was found 1,600 feet (500 meters) from the bow of the Titanic, resting 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland.
OceanGate Expeditions had offered seats on its sub for $250,000, but concerns about safety policies emerged after the tragic implosion. The US Coast Guard and Canadian authorities have launched investigations into the cause of the incident, which occurred when the Titan lost contact approximately one hour and 45 minutes after submerging.
While the Titanic's discovery in 1985 has attracted maritime experts and underwater enthusiasts, this recent incident serves as a somber reminder of the risks involved in exploring the depths of the ocean.