On June 18, the Titanic submarine owned and operated by OceanGate, carrying five passengers to visit the wreck of the Titanic, suddenly lost contact. Five other passengers are believed to have died after the Titan dive exploded.
According to reports, the five people on board at the time included: OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, Hamish Harding, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed at a press conference yesterday (June 22) that debris from the submarine found near the wreck of the Titanic was "consistent with a catastrophic explosion."
Las Vegas tycoon Jay Bloom recorded a conversation with Mr. Rush and posted it on Facebook following the tragic news that the submersible exploded, killing five passengers.
According to images of his conversation with the OceanGate CEO, he declined the position on the expedition. In the picture, the CEO tried to reassure him that the submarine was perfectly safe. Stockton even offered him a $100 discount off the regular price.
In the post, Bloom wrote: “In February Stockton asked me and my son, Sean, to go with him on the dive to Titanic in May. Both May dives were postponed due to weather and the dive got delayed until June 18th, the date of this trip.”
When Bloom voiced his concerns about safety, Rush told that: “While there's obviously risk it's way safer than flying in a helicopter or even scuba diving. There hasn't been even an injury in 35 years in non-military subs.”
Bloom said Rush is passionate about what he does. Bloom later said the last time he saw Stockton was on March 1.
However, Bloom turned down Stockton due to his busy schedule, so Bloom won't go until next year.
He even revealed that his and his son's seats belonged to Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman Dawood. Two passengers are believed to have died during the discovery of the wreck of the Titanic.
“One last time. RIP Stockton and crew.”
Bloom ended his post with the words: “Tomorrow is never promised. Make the most of today.”
