OceanGate employee pushes back against idea of ‘desperation’ to complete missions

Associated Press

A key employee with the company that owned the experimental submersible that imploded en route to the wreckage of the Titanic has pushed back at a question about whether OceanGate felt a sense of “desperation” to complete the dives because of the high price tag. Amber Bay was director of administration and insisted OceanGate wouldn’t “conduct dives that would be risky just to meet a need.” Other witnesses have characterized those who paid $250,000 to participate in OceanGate voyages as passengers, but Bay described them more as explorers. OceanGate co-founder Stockton Rush was among the five people who died when the Titan submersible imploded in June 2023.