Titan sub firm's CEO dismissed safety warnings as ‘baseless cries’, email exchange indicates

In a concerning revelation, email exchanges obtained by the BBC expose the repeated dismissal of safety warnings over OceanGate's Titan submersible by the company's CEO, Stockton Rush. The messages, involving renowned deep-sea exploration specialist Rob McCallum, reveal a heated exchange in which McCallum cautioned Rush about the potential risks faced by clients and implored him to suspend the sub's usage until it received independent classification.

"I think you are potentially placing yourself and your clients in a dangerous dynamic," McCallum wrote to the OceanGate boss in March 2018.

"In your race to Titanic, you are mirroring that famous catch cry: 'She is unsinkable'," he warned.

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Email exchanges revealRush's frustration over the criticism of Titan's safety measures then, and the tragic incident resulted in his own death and that of four other passengers during the suspected "catastrophic implosion" of the submersible.

According toMcCallum's statements to the BBC, he persistently advised the company to obtain certification for the Titan before employing it for commercial tours. Remarkably, the vessel never underwent the process of certification or classification.

"Until a sub is classed, tested and proven it should not be used for commercial deep dive operations," he wrote in one email.

"I implore you to take every care in your testing and sea trials and to be very, very conservative," he added. "As much as I appreciate entrepreneurship and innovation, you are potentially putting an entire industry at risk."

A few days later, Rush issued a response in which he vigorously defended his business and asserted his qualifications and credentials.

He said OceanGate's "engineering focused, innovative approach... flies in the face of the submersible orthodoxy, but that is the nature of innovation".

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During the course of the exchange,Rush staunchly defended his qualifications and cast doubt on the prevailing framework governing deep-sea expeditions.

He said "industry players" were trying to stop "new entrants from entering their small existing market".

"I am well qualified to understand the risks and issues associated with subsea exploration in a new vehicle," he wrote.'

McCallum then responded in stark terms, writing: "It will be sea trials that determine whether the vehicle can handle what you intend to do with it so again; take care and keep safe."

"There is a lot more riding on this than Titan and the Titanic," he said.

Established by Rush in 2009, OceanGate provided individuals with the opportunity to embark on deep-sea journeys, including visits to the renowned Titanic wreckage, through their Titan vessel. Interested customers could partake in this remarkable experience for a fee of $250,000 (£195,600).'

Safety concerns

Safety concerns regarding the Titan and the regulatory oversight of private sector deep-sea expeditions have come under scrutiny by experts. Questions have been raised about the experimental design of the Titan and the utilisation of carbon fiber material in its construction, raising concerns about its reliability and durability.

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