Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, has revealed that lightning struck the tragic submersible Titanic during a test. Tragically, Rush and four other passengers lost their lives when the sub imploded during a descent to view the wreckage of the Titanic.
A recently surfaced video shows Rush discussing the lightning incident during an interview with underwater technology company Teledyne Marine in 2018.
He said: “Fortunately, it wasn’t a direct hit. A direct hit to the carbon fiber would probably have put us out completely.”
Insider’s investigation of the metadata revealed that the original video was uploaded in August 2020. The lightning-related incident is believed to have occurred during a deep-water test session in 2018, specifically near Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas.
“Upon arrival, the electronic components of the submarine suffered lightning damage that affected more than 70% of its internal systems.” OceanGate later said in OceanGate’s Instagram post.
“Combined with unusually stormy and windy conditions in the Bahamas, the team was unable to complete the first 4,000 meter dive at least 45 days prior to the Titanic Survey expedition.”
Mr. Rush expressed his disappointment at the delay in a statement, but added: “We are not willing to shorten the testing process due to a condensed schedule. We are 100% committed to safety and want to fully test the submarine and validate all emergency and operational procedures before launching any expedition.”
During the interview with Teledyne Marine, Mr. Rush noted that the sub’s defective parts were promptly identified and addressed.
He said: “Fortunately, we use online replaceable off-the-shelf commercial items. So, in a matter of a few days, we could replace all of those components.”
added: “But we’re still having problems with the connectors, indenters and cabling. Lightning can do weird things. That delayed our tests and we had to cancel them.”
The submarine disappeared on June 18 and its remains were discovered five days later, on June 22.
Approximately one hour and 45 minutes into the voyage, contact with the submarine was lost.
According to Mr. Rush, he and four others aboard the doomed ship, Titan, ignored a loud noise before their unfortunate deaths. During an episode of BBC’s The Travel Show in 2022, Rush shared that a passenger had heard a worrying sound while the submarine was on the ocean’s surface.
Describing the sound as haunting, he mentioned that almost all deep-sea submarines experience some noise at some point.
Mr. Rush stressed the importance of providing tourists with full information about the risks they faced during the show.
He said: “This is an experimental submarine; this is a dangerous environment.”
OceanGate/FB
Whistleblowers have reported glue leaking from the seams holding the ballast bags together, while experts have raised concerns about the sub’s hull design.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn