(VitalNews.org) – Patrick Lahey, CEO of Triton Submarines, has criticized what he called “predatory” tactics employed by the late Stockton Rush in his effort to source paying customers for OceanGate’s trips to the wreckage of the Titanic.
Lahey, who has worked in the submarine industry for over forty years, referred to the doomed Titan vessel, which imploded after a catastrophic loss of cabin pressure, as a “monstrosity”. Lahey made clear his views after the submersible’s second mate, his friend Commander Paul-Henri Nargeolet, lost his life in the implosion along with the other four men on board the vessel.
The submarine expert expressed his fears to his friend before the trip and said that Nargeolet was aware of the risks inherent to such a journey but was still convinced to go by Rush’s persuasion.
Lahey is not the only person to have highlighted concerns about the late Stockton Rush’s methods. Rush had previously brushed off criticism that his vessel was not certified for safety by any industry body by claiming that regulators simply could not keep up with his level of innovation. Despite his own professed confidence in his company’s product, industry insiders have claimed that the OceanGate CEO struggled to get enough people to sign up for his Titanic viewing trips to make them viable.
Rush, who died in the submersible implosion, was said to have made several attempts to convince wealthy financier Jay Bloom and his son to join him on the expedition to the Titanic. Bloom’s son was apprehensive about the risks involved, and after some delays to the originally planned dates, Bloom and his son ultimately decided not to join the expedition.
Despite the men’s hesitance, Rush appears to have tried multiple times to persuade them to take part. Bloom says that the CEO promised the trip would be safe, and safer even than crossing the road. He also offered the pair a discount, offering the voyage at $150,000 per person instead of the usual $250,000. Rush went to meet with Bloom in person and offered to video call his son to assuage his fears but to no avail. Bloom has since spoken of his relief that they did not accept the special offer.
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