OceanGate CEO's wife's haunting words moments before Titan submersible tragedy

Horrifying new video shows the moment the wife innocently asked a simple question with a smile - unaware a “bang” she had just heard was beneath them.

The submersible had descended to the wreck of the Titanic in June 2023 but the support vessel, Polar Prince, . Aboard were OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, 61, British businessman Hamish Harding, 58, former French navy diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, , 48, and his son Suleman, 19. All died when the Titan imploded owing to the immense water pressure at 12,400ft beneath the North Atlantic ocean.

Shocking new footage has now shown the moment those on the Polar Prince unknowingly heard the moment the little submersible imploded. Wendy Rush, wife of CEO Mr Rush, can be seen asking with a smile: “What was that bang?”

READ MORE:

Below her the Titan was in pieces after suddenly imploding, with the loss of all hands. Moments after the odd noise was heard Mrs Rush reported they had heard from the Titan saying it had dropped two weights - but the noise they heard had taken less time to reach the surface than the last message they would receive.

The footage was released to the who was given access to the US Coastguard’s investigation for the documentary, Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster.

A huge hunt was launched when the Polar Prince lost contact with the little submersible and it took another five days before debris was found, around 330 yards from the bow of the Titanic. The tragedy sparked questions on the safety of the submersible, which had been making trips to the Titanic wreckage since 2021.

It was later revealed the submersible had never had an independent safety assessment and concerns had been raised about the make up of its hull, which was made of carbon fibre. The composite material is known to separate under pressure.

The BBC reported the USCG believes this process began a year before the Titan disaster on its 80th dive when passengers heard a loud bang. Lieutenant Commander Katie Williams from USCG said: “Delamination at dive 80 was the beginning of the end. Everyone who stepped onboard the Titan after dive 80 was risking their life."

Horrifying photos released by the showed a large piece of the submersible intact, surrounded by scattered wires on the ocean floor.

Karl Stanley, a friend of Mr Rush, recounted the chilling moments he experienced alongside Rush during a 2019 expedition using Titan, where he heard an ominous cracking sound while submerged. He said: “He told us to be prepared for noises.

"He had recently done the solo dive on his own, and basically just said, 'this is going to make noise' and 'brace yourselves.'". Reflecting on the past dives, Stanley expressed grave concerns, noting there were "a lot of red flags."