A father and son gave up their seats on the ultimately doomed Titan submersible out of safety concerns just weeks before its catastrophic implosion, they have told CNN.
Investor Jay Bloom and his son Sean said they were both worried about the submersible and its ability to travel deep into the ocean ahead of the planned voyage.
Their seats ultimately went to Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, the father and son who were onboard when the vessel imploded and were among five passengers that perished.
“I saw a lot of red flags. It was only meant for five people. I just did not think that it can survive going that low into the ocean,” Sean, 20, told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Friday evening.
He recalled seeing a video of Stockton Rush – CEO of OceanGate, the company that offers the deepwater expedition – walking through the submersible and its features.
“Ultimately I ended up warning my dad about it, and he ended up agreeing with me,” he said.
Titan was a submersible that offered wealthy passengers the opportunity to view the wreckage of the Titanic, which lies 12,500 feet below sea level.
It suffered a catastrophic implosion under the huge pressures of the deep sea, instantly killing the five passengers.
The other three on board were Rush, British businessman Hamish Harding, and French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
REF: CNN
