Titan tragedy: Stockton Rush hired 'college-aged interns' to design OceanGate sub's electrical systems
Titan tragedy: OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush reportedly employed college-aged interns to design the electrical systems for the Titan submersible.
Stockton was among the five killed after the vessel was destroyed in a catastrophic implosion. Others were British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver Paul Henry Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman.
"The whole electrical system — that was our design, we implemented it, and it works," former intern Mark Walsh told Washington State University's student newspaper in February 2018.
According to the college newspaper, Mark graduated in 2017 with a degree in electrical engineering and began as an intern. He then became the full-time electrical engineering lead for OceanGate. Mark went on to say that he had hired other interns from his college and was eager to hire more for OceanGate. According to Mark's LinkedIn page, he worked for OceanGate for two years before leaving in 2019.
Also Read | US Navy detected Titanic sub implosion days before rescue mission, but chose to continue search efforts
Washington State University stated to The Everett Herald on June 22 that they do not "have an alliance with OceanGate." "We are aware that some of our graduates have previously worked at OceanGate. According to our knowledge, one graduate is currently employed there," the university noted.
According to reports, OceanGate was also seeking interns from Everett Community College's Ocean Research College Academy. However, in 2019, the college stopped giving internships with OceanGate. The executive director of the academy, Ardi Kveven, stated that "there was often a disconnect between the exploration community, which embraced pushing the envelope, and the more methodical scientific community."
According to reports, Stockton admitted two years ago that the Titan submersible's design had "broken some rules." Stockton expressed his desire to be recognised as an innovator in a 2021 interview with Mexican YouTuber Alanxelmundo.
"I believe General MacArthur said, 'You're remembered for the rules you break,'" Stockton explained. He then acknowledged that he had "broken some rules" in the Titan's manufacturing, but he was confident that the sub was safe.
"I believe I've broken them with logic and good engineering." Titanium and carbon fibre? "There's a rule you don't break," he explained to Alanxelmundo. "Well, I guess I did."
The Titan's hull was built of aerospace-grade carbon fibre, despite the fact that submersible hulls are generally made of solid metals such as steel or titanium. Following his death, several emails and messages between experts and Stockton went viral, revealing that he ignored repeated warnings that the submersible was unsafe.
Also Read | Maharashtra politics: NCP files disqualification petition against Ajit Pawar, other 8 MLAs
- With inputs from agencies
