Titanic Submarine Boss Accused Of Misleading Passengers For Ill-fated Expedition

The Titanic Foundation, under the direction of Paul-Henri Nargeolet, is looking into assertions made by Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, regarding the vessel's security before its June 18 explosion.

According to Jessica Sanders, the president of RMS Titanic Inc., Rush was described as a daring and reckless individual. Sanders is assessing whether Nargeolet should have been allowed on board the vessel.

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The Titanic Foundation is investigating safety claims made by Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, following the tragic implosion of his submersible that resulted in the loss of five lives.

Jessica Sanders, the president of RMS Titanic Inc., criticized Rush's remarks, describing him as 'cavalier' for suggesting that the Titan sub was safer than activities such as flying in a helicopter, scuba diving, or even crossing the street.

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Rush had assured potential passengers that the submarine was "much safer than flying in a helicopter or even scuba diving," comparing it to simply "crossing the street."

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Sanders stated that the Titanic Foundation is carefully examining its records and court documents following the tragic incident, raising doubts about the accuracy of Rush's statements.

"We have our internal questions about the representations [OceanGate] made that were the basis for giving PH the OK to go," she told The Post.

"We¡¯re going back and looking at that now internally because there were representations not only made to us but made to the court that now we have to go back and verify because of these stories that are coming up that question them."

RMS Titanic Inc., the company with salvage rights to the shipwreck, obtains court approval before any recovery efforts. Eastern District of Virginia Judge Rebecca Beach Smith has overseen their expedition plans for several years.

The artifacts retrieved from the wreck must be displayed together and made available for academic research under specific conditions.

Judge Smith also reviews other proposals related to visiting the site.

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Stockton Rush, the head of OceanGate, openly admitted to being unconventional and did not seek certification for his submarine, considering it time-consuming. He believed that involving external entities would hinder rapid innovation.

On the other hand, Paul-Henri Nargeolet and RMS Titanic Inc. took a different approach. They ensured compliance with various regulations when Nargeolet joined the expedition as a guest of OceanGate rather than for research purposes.

Nargeolet, who had extensive experience exploring the Titanic wreck, had a close relationship with Rush and had been to the site multiple times.

The Titan submarine suffered a catastrophic implosion during the mission, losing all communication with the outside world.

The incident occurred while the vessel was attempting to explore the Titanic wreck, located 12,500 feet below the surface of the Atlantic, approximately 350 nautical miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

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