STOCKTON Rush was the CEO of OceanGate - a private company that organised a trip to the Titanic wreckage on June 18, 2023.
On that same day, Rush, along with four other passengers and crew did not return from their expedition and were announced dead.
Who was Stockton Rush?
Stockton Rush was the CEO of OceanGate Inc., which he founded back in 2009.
He was also the co-founder and member of the Board of Trustees of OceanGate Foundation since 2012.
According to the company's website: "Rush oversees OceanGate’s financial and engineering strategies and provides a clear vision for the development of 4,000 meter (13,123 feet) and 6,000 meter (19,685 feet) capable crewed submersibles and their partner launch and recovery platforms which make OceanGate Inc the leading provider of crewed submersibles for charter and scientific research."
Are there illegal baby names? Surprising monikers that are BANNED in other countries, from Sarah to Thomas
At the age of 19, Rush became the youngest jet transport-rated pilot in the world after obtaining his DC-8 Type/Captain’s rating at the United Airlines Jet Training Institute in 1981.
However, he was unable to realise his dream of becoming an astronaut because of his poor eyesight.
He had a BSE in Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University and an MBA from the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.
Rush was never one to follow the rules and he made it clear in a previous interview that he had "broken some" in his career.
Rush said in a video interview with Mexican YouTuber Alan Estrada in 2023: “I think it was General MacArthur who said you’re remembered for the rules you break.
“And I’ve broken some rules to make this.
"I think I’ve broken them with logic and good engineering behind me.”
If you just want to be safe, don’t get out of bed. Don’t get in your car. Don’t do anything.”
Stockton Rush
In another interview, he told journalist David Pogue that "safety was a waste".
He said: “At some point, safety just is pure waste.
All about Rachel Nickell who was murdered in front of her son Alex Hanscombe
“I mean, if you just want to be safe, don’t get out of bed. Don’t get in your car. Don’t do anything.”
What was his net worth?
Not everyone who died on the submersible was a billionaire.
He reportedly had a net worth of around £19.5million.
When did Stockton Rush go missing?
On June 18, 2023, OceanGate Expeditions sent out a submersible to explore the Titanic wreckage located 900 nautical miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
It was reported that Rush was one of five passengers and crew members aboard the vessel sent out to sea.
However, when the vessel did not return, it prompted a search by the Coast Guard for the missing research submarine.
On June 22, a robot searching for the vessel found debris, which the US Coast Guard confirmed to be the remains of Titan.
OceanGate announced that the five missing passengers passed away after the sub suffered a "catastrophic implosion."
The agency previously said that the bodies of the passengers might never be recovered.
When asked about recovering the bodies, the agency said the sea floor was an “incredibly unforgiving, incredibly complex environment".
Those who died along with Rush, were French submersible pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Hamish Harding, a 59-year-old British billionaire businessman, Shahzada Dawood - a UK-based businessman and billionaire from Pakistan - and his student son Suleman Dawood.
What is Oceangate and what do they do?
From July 2023, OceanGate suspended all exploration and commercial operations.
It was a private company that owned and operated three five‑person submersibles for various purposes, including:
- site survey and inspection
- research and data collection
- film and media production
- deep sea testing platform
OceanGate had originally planned its first voyage to the Titanic in 2018, but the vessel sustained damage to its electronics from lightning.
The voyage was postponed again the year following due to a problem with complying with Canadian maritime law limitations on foreign flag vessels.
It's first successful trip came two years later, but the Titan had to be rebuilt after tests showed signs of “cyclic fatigue”.
In 2020, OceanGate announced it was working with NASA to ensure the submersible was strong enough to withstand the 13,000-foot descent to the site of the Titanic.
According to the company’s website, OceanGate had successfully completed more than 14 expeditions and more than 200 dives in the Pacific, Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico.
