Current:Home > MyRemembering those lost on OceanGate's Titan submersible -Mastery Money Tools
Remembering those lost on OceanGate's Titan submersible
View
Date:2025-04-15 07:28:19
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! (8544)
Related
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- While Alabama fans grieve on Paul Finebaum Show, Kalen DeBoer enjoys path to recovery
- ‘Menendez Brothers’ documentary: After Ryan Murphy’s ‘Monsters’ Erik, Lyle have their say
- I'm a Shopping Editor, Here's What I'm Buying From October Prime Day 2024: The 51 Best Amazon Deals
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Is Your Company Losing Money Due to Climate Change? Consider Moving to the Midwest, Survey Says
- Jennifer Aniston’s Favorite Vital Proteins Collagen Powder Is Just $19 in a Prime Day Flash Sale
- Tarik Skubal turning in one of Detroit Tigers' most dominant postseasons ever
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- Federal judge orders Google to open its Android app store to competition
Ranking
- Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
- Kathy Bates chokes up discovering she didn't leave mom out of Oscar speech: 'What a relief'
- Movie armorer on Alec Baldwin’s film ‘Rust’ pleads guilty to gun charge in separate case
- Man injured after explosion at Southern California home; blast cause unknown
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Control the path and power of hurricanes like Helene? Forget it, scientists say
- From prepped to panicked: How different generations feel about retirement
- Panera Bread reaches first settlement in Charged Lemonade, wrongful death lawsuits
Recommendation
Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
Takeaways from AP investigation on the struggle to change a police department
'Completely out of line': Malachi Moore apologizes for outburst in Alabama-Vanderbilt game
Aaron Rodgers-Robert Saleh timeline: Looking back at working relationship on Jets
Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
Kanye West and Wife Bianca Censori Step Out Together Amid Breakup Rumors
The Latest: Harris continues media blitz with 3 more national interviews
Opinion: Why Alabama fans won't forget Kalen DeBoer lost to Vanderbilt, but they can forgive