By michael vivar
The HMS Titanic has been the subject of romantic nostalgia and morbid curiosity since her doomed maiden voyage in 1912.
Interest was rekindled with the 1997 release of the blockbuster movie, Titanic, directed by Hollywood impresario, James Cameron.
The film's wild popularity inspired dozens of new expeditions of varying magnitude by everyone from treasure hunters, historians and fame seekers.
The latest high-profile visit to the Titanic wreck was conducted by OceanGate, an underwater tourism venture headed by Stockton Rush.
OceanGate created and manufactured the Titan submersible. It was the first privately owned sub to claim a maximum depth of 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) with a crew.
The Titan's hull was constructed from a titanium and carbon fiber composite material. It was supposed to be able to withstand 150 million pounds of pressure.
These claims did not prove out. On June 18, 2023, the Titan imploded at a depth of 12,000 feet (3,800 meters). All five passengers, including Rush and his 19-year-old son, were killed.
Though it was known in the oceanic exploration community, the Titan's implosion brought more public light to Rush's reputation for recklessness and bravado.
This was confirmed on Sept. 16, 2024, during testimony from OceanGate’s former operations director turned whistleblower, David Lochridge.
Lochridge attested before a panel of US Coast Guard investigators that a safety incident on the Titan was inevitable because of hull damage incurred on every dive.
He'd warned Rush about this on numerous occasions, earning him the label of "troublemaker." Lochridge was eventually fired in 2018.
There's a growing trend of private enterprise exploring new frontiers in the seas and space. There are also calls for more oversight as they begin taking paying tourists along.