Current:Home > FinanceRemembering those lost on OceanGate's Titan submersible-InfoLens
Remembering those lost on OceanGate's Titan submersible
View Date:2024-12-23 14:28:12
Most of the time, an obituary makes headlines because of how a person lived. But every now and then, it's because of how they died. That certainly is the case for the five men on the OceanGate Titan submersible, which imploded this past June on its way down to the Titanic.
One of them was OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, the designer of the sub. He certainly enjoyed playing the maverick. In 2022 he told me, "I don't know if it was MacArthur, but somebody said, 'You're remembered for the rules you break,' and that's the fact. And there were a lot of rules out there that didn't make engineering sense to me."
But during the ten days I spent with him last year for a "Sunday Morning" story, I found him to be funny, whip-smart, and driven.
"My whole life, I wanted to be an astronaut," Rush said. "I wanted to be sort of the Captain Kirk; I didn't want to be the passenger in the back. And I realized that the ocean is the universe; that's where life is.
"We have this universe that will take us centuries to explore," he said. "And suddenly, you see things that no one's ever seen, and you realize how little we know, how vast the ocean is, how much life is there, how important it is, and how alien."
I also got to know P.H. Nargeolet, one of the most experienced Titanic divers who ever lived; he'd visited the wreck of the Titanic 37 times.
When asked if he still felt amazement or awe, he replied, "Yeah. You know, I have to say, each dive is a new experience. I open my eyes like THAT when I'm in the sub!"
He died that day, too, along with their three passengers: Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, and his son, Suleman.
- A second Titanic tragedy: The failure of OceanGate's Titan ("Sunday Morning")
I'm tempted to say something here about how risk is part of the game for thrill-seekers like these, or maybe even the whole point. Or about how Stockton Rush was trying to innovate, to make deep-sea exploration accessible to more people. Or about how science doesn't move forward without people making sacrifices.
But none of that would be any consolation to the people those men left behind - their wives, kids, parents. P.H. had grandchildren. For them, it's just absence now, and grieving ... for the men who died, and the dreams they were chasing.
Story produced by Anthony Laudato. Editor: Emanuele Secci.
- In:
- OceanGate
- Titanic
David Pogue is a six-time Emmy winner for his stories on "CBS Sunday Morning," where he's been a correspondent since 2002. He's also a New York Times bestselling author, a five-time TED speaker, and host of 20 NOVA science specials on PBS. For 13 years, he wrote a New York Times tech column every week — and for 10 years, a Scientific American column every month.
Twitter InstagramveryGood! (13)
Related
- Brian Austin Green’s Fiancée Sharna Burgess Celebrates Megan Fox’s Pregnancy News
- Richard Dreyfuss' remarks about women and diversity prompt Massachusetts venue to apologize
- Spirit Airlines passengers told to put on life vests after possible mechanical issue on Florida-bound flight: Nerve racking
- How Blac Chyna and Boyfriend Derrick Milano Celebrated Their First Anniversary
- Democrat Cleo Fields wins re-drawn Louisiana congressional district, flipping red seat blue
- North West's 'Lion King' concert performance sparks casting backlash: 'The nepotism was clear'
- Jurors hear about Karen Read’s blood alcohol level as murder trial enters fifth week
- General Hospital Actor Johnny Wactor’s Mom Speaks Out After His Death in Fatal Shooting
- Study finds Wisconsin voters approved a record number of school referenda
- Brittany Cartwright Claps Back at Comments on Well-Being of Her and Jax Taylor's Son Cruz
Ranking
- Ford agrees to pay up to $165 million penalty to US government for moving too slowly on recalls
- Bette Nash, who was named the world’s longest-serving flight attendant, dies at 88
- Tom Selleck, Brittney Griner, RuPaul and more top celebrity memoirs of 2024
- Prosecutors in Bob Menendez trial can't use evidence they say is critical to case, judge rules
- Man accused of killing American tourist in Budapest, putting her body in suitcase: Police
- Biden honors fallen troops on Memorial Day, praising commitment not to a president, but to idea of America
- When is the 'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 5 finale? Release date, cast, where to watch
- Jon Bon Jovi Shares Heartwarming Details of Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi’s Wedding
Recommendation
-
2 dead in explosion at Kentucky factory that also damaged surrounding neighborhood
-
Hoda Kotb, Jenna Bush Hager can't stop giggling about hot rodent boyfriend trend on 'Today'
-
Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis barred from practicing in Colorado for three years
-
New court challenge filed in Pennsylvania to prevent some mail-in ballots from getting thrown out
-
Philadelphia mass transit users face fare hikes of more than 20% and possible service cuts
-
Louisiana police searching for 2 escaped prisoners after 4 slipped through fence
-
Mike Tyson said he feels '100%' after receiving medical care for 'ulcer flare-up'
-
Bill Walton, NBA Hall of Famer who won 2 championships, dies at 71