New images released by the BBC reveal the reaction of Wendy Rush, wife of Stockton Rush, to the sound of the implosion of Oceangate’s submersible Titan during the tragic expedition to Titanic wreckage in June 2023.
The recording, made on the mission support ship and obtained from the US Coast Guard, shows Wendy in front of a computer that monitored the vessel’s communications. At one point, a crash is heard, to which Wendy reacts by asking, “What was that noise?”
Following, a message is sent indicating that the submersible had released weights to try to control the climb. However, according to investigations, this sound marked precisely the moment of implosion, which killed the five occupants about 3300 meters deep, just 90 minutes after the mission began. On board were Stockton Rush, explorer Hamish Harding, Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman.
Investigations revealed that Titan’s carbon fiber hull has had problems since 2022. During the 80th expedition, a strong noise indicated a deepening – separation of hull layers – which seriously weakened the structure. Despite this, the missions continued. “The delay in dive 80 was the beginning of the end … All who embarked later were risking their lives,” said Lieutenant commander Katie Williams.
The businessman Oisin Fanning, who participated in the last two trips before the disaster, stated that he would not have boarded if he knew the true extent of the risks. “Many people would not have gone. Smart people who lost their lives and who, if they knew the facts, would not have made that trip,” he said.
The case is still under investigation and a final report of the Coast Guard will be presented by the end of the year. The images and new details are part of the documentary “Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster”, with a debut scheduled for today at BBC.
