Titanic Sub Owner Accused of Murder in Wild ‘60 Minutes Australia’ Interview: “Who Was the Last Person To Murder Two Billionaires at Once?”

Who could’ve predicted the dangers of deep-sea tourism? It’s been a month since the Titanic submersible disaster, and now, 60 Minutes Australia has released a damning interview that includes interviews with submarine expert Karl Stanley, former OceanGate consultant Rob McCallum and OceanGate co-founder Guillermo Söhnlein, many of whom paint the incident as “preventable.”

Stanley, who appears the most irate about the incident, describes the exploration as a “mousetrap for billionaires,” which was nothing more than a “death wish” for all involved. 

On June 18, five Titanic enthusiasts boarded an experimental submersible to dive 13,000 feet into the ocean to explore the iconic Titanic wreckage. Reports state that an hour and 45 minutes into its two-hour descent, the submersible lost communication with those on the surface.

Among those on board were OceanGate owner Stockton Rush, Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his teenage son, Suleman Dawood.

The missing case sparked an extensive search involving the US Coast Guard, along with worldwide interest. Five days later, on June 22, debris from the vessel was located and it was said that all passengers were likely instantly killed in a catastrophic implosion.

However, what many view as a monumental tragedy has been dismissed as something more devious by one person: Stanley, a friend of Rush who formerly tested the submersible. “Every three to four there were loud gunshot-like noises. That’s a heck of a sound to hear when you’re that far under the ocean,” he recalls about his prior experience.

Stanley tells 60 Minutes reporter Amelia Adams that he believes those noises were the carbon fiber hub cracking, which is essential for the submersible to avoid water penetration. He also provides evidence of heated emails and phone calls that he had with Rush about the faulty mechanics of the vessel. 

“He [Rush] definitely knew it was going to end like this. He quite literally, and figuratively went out with the biggest bang in human history,” Stanley boldly proclaims. “Who was the last person to murder two billionaires at once, and have them pay for the privilege? I think Stockton was designing a mousetrap for billionaires.”

It has been reported that each passenger paid $250,000 to take part in the voyage.

When asked if Rush had a “death wish,” Stanley answers, “The only question in my mind… the only question is: When? He was risking his life and his customers’ lives to go down in history. He’s more famous now than anything else he would have ever done.”

McCallum, who previously consulted for OceanGate, claims that he expressed various concerns about Rush’s disregard for safety standards, along with 36 other individuals within the submersible community. Shortly after, the company’s chief pilot was fired for “raising a long list of safety concerns.” McCallum says anybody who raised a safety concern to Rush was not only fired but also “silenced.”

Throughout the brief episode, McCallum expressed sympathy for the perished passengers, arguing that people can’t “consent to something they don’t understand.”

The criticisms expressed in the program were met with resistance from Guillermo, who countered these perceptions of Rush. “As co-founder, I do have to stand up for the fact that I feel that what we were doing was right and was heading in the right direction.” The reporter pushed back, saying, “Well, there must’ve been something wrong with it because five people are dead.” Nevertheless, Guillermo denies Rush’s recklessness, describing the businessman as “risk averse.”

How to Watch the 60 Minutes Australia Documentary on the Titanic Sub Disaster:

Did our recap leave you wanting to tune into the investigative program? No problem! It’s easy to watch. 60 Minutes Australia airs on Channel 9 and 9Now in its homeland, and YouTube. The Titanic submersible episode aired on Sunday, July 26, 2023, and has since been uploaded to YouTube in its entirety.