OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, whose Titan submersible took tourists down to see the seafloor wreck of the RMS Titanic, once told a reporter that "at some point, safety is just pure waste."
Now that sub — with Rush and four other people reportedly on board — is missing during an expedition to the Titanic wreckage.
In a November 2022 episode of CBS journalist David Pogue's "Unsung Science" podcast, Rush discussed the Titan sub's mechanics and build.
He said there was a "limit" to safety, telling Pogue: "You know, at some point, safety is just pure waste. 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. At some point, you're going to take some risk, and it really is a risk-reward question."
Rush added that his Titan sub features, and trips to the Titanic wreck, can be done outside of what's been previously done, saying: "I think I can do this just as safely while breaking the rules."
The Titan sub was never checked to see if it was up to standard because of its "innovation," OceanGate said in 2019. The sub features a carbon fiber hull that had never been used on submersibles before, according to the "Unsung Science" podcast.
In the podcast episode, Pogue said the sub's build — which includes "MacGyvered" ceiling lights and an Xbox controller for navigating the vessel — as well as the safety waiver, gave him cause for concern.
In a 2019 interview, Rush lamented "obscenely safe" diving security regulations, although he said he understood the rules.
