(NewsNation) — The founder of OceanGate, who died in the Titan submersible implosion, was called a “murderer” by a Titanic expedition leader after testimony revealed new details about the implosion.
G. Michael Harris, founder of RMS Titanic, said Tuesday on NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” that OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush was “a complete, unequivocal narcissist, and in the end, a murderer.”
“He killed those people. He knew better,” Harris said, referring to the five individuals who died when the Titan imploded during a dive to the Titanic wreckage in June 2023.
The comments came as the U.S. Coast Guard conducted hearings into the disaster. Former OceanGate employees have testified about alleged mismanagement and safety lapses in the Titan’s construction.
One employee described Rush as more focused on making money than science, saying they had “no confidence whatsoever” in the way the submersible was being built.
Harris claimed that industry professionals had long harbored concerns about the Titan.
“We all knew about this. We all tried to reach out to him,” he said.
The expedition leader also questioned why regulatory agencies hadn’t intervened, calling it “the biggest clown show in history.”
The hearings, which began this week, are expected to continue for 10 days. They include testimony from former employees and examinations of OceanGate’s practices.
Coast Guard investigators have released new evidence, including a photo of the Titan’s wreckage on the ocean floor and an animation of its final journey. The submersible’s last communication, sent moments before losing contact, indicated it was “dropping two weights.”
Harris speculated that this action was likely to slow the Titan’s descent rather than attempt an emergency ascent as previously thought. He added that the victims likely died instantly.