Titanic submarine boss created a 'mousetrap for billionaires', says ex-passenger

18 July 2023 , 17:44

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A submarine expert who once sailed on board the doomed Titan submersible before its deadly implosion has described the vessel as a "mousetrap for billionaires".

Karl Stanley, a Honduran tourist submarine operator, had the chance to dive with the Titan back in 2019 for a test dive in the Bahamas.

Ever since he said he knew that the construction of the submersible was inefficient.

Tragedy unfolded last month when the Titan - captained by OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush - imploded in the Atlantic Ocean while trying to reach the wreck of the Titanic, killing all five on board. The company has since been the target of severe criticism for ignoring safety warnings.

Mr Stanley, who was among the first people to step foot on the infamous submersible, said that Mr Rush with his business had created a "mousetrap" for high-profile customers.

Haunting new Titanic video shows deterioration and where iceberg first spotted

Titanic submarine boss created a 'mousetrap for billionaires', says ex-passenger

Titan submersible passengers (L-R, top to bottom) Hamish Harding, CEO Stockton Rush, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood (Dirty Dozen Productions/OceanGat)

Mr Stanley said Mr Rush saying he believed he was fully aware of the risks of the eventual outcome.

In a particularly harsh attack, Mr Stanley said the OceanGate boss had accomplished a rare feat by being responsible for the demise of two billionaires, who even willingly paid for the service.

He told 60 Minutes Australia: "He definitely knew it was going to end like this. He literally and figuratively went out with the biggest bang in human history that you can go out with. And he was the last person to murder two billionaires at once and have them pay for the privilege."

Mr Stanley added: "I think Stockton was designing a mousetrap for billionaires."

The sub imploded due to the extreme pressure at 12,500 feet - the depth at which the Titanic wreck lies (AP)

When describing the events he witnessed inside the submarine, Mr Stanley stated that there were frequent loud noises resembling gunshots occurring approximately every three to four minutes.

He emphasised how eerie and unsettling it was to hear such sounds while being submerged deep under the ocean, especially in a vessel that had ventured to such depths only once before.

He said: "I would say every three to four minutes there were loud gunshot-like noises. It's a heck of a sound to hear when you're that far under the ocean and a craft that has only been down that deep once before.

Stockton Rush created a 'mousetrap for billionaires', submarine expert Karl Stanley said (AP)

Mr Stanley went on to express his frustration by sharing that he even created a visual representation of the wrecked submarine at the ocean's bottom.

He believed that the mechanical part, the carbon fibre tube, was the major culprit behind the unfortunate incident.

He noted: "I literally painted a picture of his wrecked sub at the bottom and even that wasn't enough. There was no doubt in my mind that the biggest failure was the carbon fibre tube that was the mechanical part that failed."