Most people had no idea that you could go on a deep-sea adventure to view the final resting place of the Titanic for a cool $250,000. But that all changed on Sunday, June 18, 2023. Contact had been lost with the submersible Titan, owned and operated by OceanGate Expeditions, while on its way down to the Titanic, resting 12,500 feet below the ocean’s surface. Onboard were four tourists besides the company’s CEO, Stockton Rush.
Eight hours after the Titan went “dark,” the mothership, the Polar Prince, contacted the U.S. Coast Guard to see if they could help. The Titan had gone down with 96 hours of oxygen, so the time frame to find them alive was small. Had they gotten stuck in the Titanic’s wreckage on the ocean floor? Heavy-duty, specialized equipment was rushed to the scene. Hope flared high on Tuesday when underwater banging was heard at half hour intervals — but the sounds were later determined to be natural ocean sounds. As time went by, all hope for the Titan and those onboard was lost. On Thursday, at 11:48 a.m., a remotely operated vehicle found the debris field of the Titan, which was consistent with a “catastrophic implosion.” Their deaths would have been instantaneous, in a fraction of a second.
So, what went wrong? It turns out that Stockton Rush had the reputation of being a “dare-devil” inventor, who in his own words said, “I’ve broken some rules to make this. I think I’ve broken them with logic and good engineering behind me.” But was that really the truth? Not only did he not follow industry standards, but he also didn’t submit to regulatory oversight from one of the many seaworthy classification organizations, such as The American Bureau of Shipping. In a blog post, he said that it would have been “anathema to rapid innovation.”
Stockton Rush had convinced himself that industry standards didn’t really matter. He freely admitted that he was doing things that were completely new, such as taking approaches that are used largely in the aerospace industry. He was proud of what he was doing, but he was sincerely wrong! Not only did he lose his own life but four other innocent lives were lost as well! Again, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:1212There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (Proverbs 14:12)).
We must all lose our physical lives on this earth one day, but our souls will live on and on for all eternity. Being absolutely right about what we believe is critical to our eternal well-being! We must individually have a relationship with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:1212But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12)). Being wrong, no matter how sincere you are, will only lead to eternal damnation and punishment. “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).
Broken Rules
There were other rules that he broke besides not being certified. Perhaps the biggest one of all was that the hull was made of carbon fiber, while other submersibles in the industry are made of titanium, which can withstand intense tension and compression. Though carbon fiber is strong and cheaper than titanium, it is unpredictable under intense compression, which was the major force that it had to deal with at the Titanic’s depth. It tends to weaken over time and fail without warning.
In the end, this is exactly what seems to have happened. Pictures of the Titan on the seabed floor show the hull mostly destroyed, but in pieces that survived, the carbon fiber split into layers and in some places cracked.
The hull itself was cylindrical instead of spherical. A spherical hull would have evenly distributed the tremendous pressure at the depth of the Titanic.
The Titan’s steering was not the highly reliable systems used in the industry, but instead, a $30 2010 Logitech gamepad. His reason for using a video-game controller was so that “we can train someone to pilot the sub. We use a game controller so anybody can drive the sub.”
It had a round window for viewing installed, but it was only considered safe at a depth of about 4,270 feet, instead of the 12,500 feet that the Titanic was at.
Warnings Dismissed
The Titan had experienced several technical mishaps during previous dives. Thrusters failed, batteries died and once the front dome of the sub fell off! Later hearings revealed that several people had tried to warn Stockton Rush of the sub’s shortcomings. David Lochridge, OceanGate’s former director of marine operations, had listed many concerns that he had with the Titan, but Stockton dismissed them and then fired him.
In 2022, when the sub was coming to the surface, they all heard a loud bang which alarmed them. One passenger described it as a “large bang or cracking sound.” They were all concerned that there might be a crack in the hull, but Stockton thought it was the sub shifting in the metal frame surrounding it.
Other leaders in the industry sent a letter to Stockton detailing their concerns about the sub and urging him to have the sub classified. One of the signers of this letter, Rob McCallum, a leading deep-sea exploration specialist, actually exchanged emails with Stockton Rush which he shared with BBC. He clearly stated that the Titan should be classified and certified, stating that he was “potentially” putting himself and others in great danger. McCallum continued, “In your race to the Titanic you are mirroring that famous catch cry: ‘She is unsinkable.’” Rush wrote back, “We have heard the baseless cries of ‘you are going to kill someone,’ way too often. I take this as a personal insult.”
McCallum told BBC that he stopped emailing after OceanGate’s lawyers threatened legal action. He had done his best to warn of impending disaster, but Stockton had dismissed his warnings, convincing himself that “I’m not dying. No one is dying on my watch — period,” in a statement he made during a 2018 meeting at OceanGate’s HQ.
Stockton’s denials of death not only ended in his death, but four others as well. His confidence in a carbon fiber hull was misplaced, eventually betraying him. Rebuffed warnings from experts based on physics and hard evidence led to disaster. Taking offence and turning a deaf ear by threatening legal action did not prevent the predicted outcome.
What About Us?
And so it is with us. We like to think that we can control our own lives, including when we die. But God says, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:11Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. (Proverbs 27:1)).
We want to live our lives to please ourselves, to do what we want to do without consequence. But God says, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:1212So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12)).
Millions think that they are good people, certainly not as bad as (fill in the blank), and that their good works will outweigh their bad works. But God says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)).
Many people think that they are too wicked and have committed too many crimes; their situation is too hopeless for God to forgive their sins. But God’s Son said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:3232I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Luke 5:32)).
Many people acknowledge that they are sinners and that they need forgiveness of sins. They know they need to be made right with God, but they have a wrong idea of what is required. They think that being baptized, going to church, saying a prayer or following tradition is good enough. But Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father [God], but by Me” (John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)).
So how do we have our sins forgiven? How are we made right with God? In love toward our lost souls, God says, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-109That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9‑10)). “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:1313For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)). Head knowledge will not save us, but true repentance towards God will. Confessing the Lord Jesus with our mouths shows the reality of our salvation.
How can we be absolutely sure of our salvation? God tells us, “Verily, verily, [truly, truly] I [Jesus] say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him [God] that sent Me, [has] everlasting life, and SHALL NOT come into condemnation; but IS PASSED from death unto life” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)).
Do not dismiss God’s message of love and salvation. Do not put confidence in coming to Him in any other way. Do not take offense and turn a deaf ear to the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin and your need of a Savior. You’ll only end up going where you don’t want to go! “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)).