CBS Reporter David Pogue Recalls That the Titan Submersible Raised ‘Many Red Flags’ (Video)
In November 2022, CBS News reporter David Pogue did a segment on OceanGate’s $1 million submersible, a clip that’s now eerie to watch after the Titan went missing on Sunday with the fate of the five people on board not known as of Wednesday evening.
On Tuesday, as the search continued, Pogue said on Twitter that there “many red flags” that came up during his chat with OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush. “Yes, I was pretty terrified. I didn’t sleep the night before at all,” Pogue tweeted.
In the 2022 video, Pogue was alarmed to find that OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who is among the missing, used a Playstation controller to guide the tiny sub. At the time, Rush objected to Pogues terms “jerry-rigged” and “MacGyvering,” saying instead that the design of the sub was designed to be as easy to operate as an elevator. “It shouldn’t take a lot of skill,” said Rush.
Yes, many red flags! That’s why both the TV story and the “Unsung Science“ podcast episode spent so much time challenging the CEO about the safety and construction of the submersible.
— David Pogue (@Pogue) June 20, 2023
Rush also assured Pogue that the Titan was jointly engineered by Boeing, NASA, and the University of Washington to ensure that it was able to withstand the intense underwater pressure at the depths where the Titanic lies. “Everything else can fail. Your thrusters can go, your lights can go, [but] you’re still going to be safe,” said Rush.
Despite his misgivings, Pogue signed the intimidating waiver which stated that the Titan had “not been approved or certified by any regulatory body” and that the trip “could result in physical injury disability emotional trauma or death.” However, his dive to the Titanic was aborted after only 37 feet because of weather conditions.
His fears were echoed by “Expedition Unknown” host Josh Gates, who shared on Wednesday that he canceled his planned Titan trip due to “safety concerns” after the sub “did not perform well.”
