Missing Titan Sub CEO Previously Said ‘Safety Just is Pure Waste’

Stockton Rush, the chief executive officer for OceanGate and one of the five people trapped on the missing Titanic tourist submersible, said during an interview last year "at some point, safety just is pure waste."

"I mean, if you just want to be safe, don't get out of bed," he continued. "Don't get in your car. Don't do anything. At some point, you're going to take some risk, and it really is a risk/reward question."

Rush, who spoke to CBS News correspondent David Pogue last year as part of the Unsung Science podcast, further said that "I think I can do this just as safely by breaking the rules."

Search crews are currently looking for the Titan submersible, which was piloted with an off-brand PlayStation controller.

Last year, Pogue traveled inside the Titan to the Titanic wreckage for a report.

This week, Pogue noted on Twitter the Titan was an unregulated and unlicensed underwater craft that was not subject to routine inspection.

Because the Titanic wreck is located within international waters, Pogue said the OceanGate submarine was subject to the laws and regulations of no countries.

Therefore, Pogue wrote, the vessel — which featured off-the-shelf components from an RV store and directions written on masking tape — "has not been licensed, inspected, or certified by any external body."

The OceanGate submarine vanished on Sunday; the underwater vessel carries 96 hours worth of oxygen. Among those onboard are French explorer Paul-Henry Nargeolet, British explorer and billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman, and Rush.

The four passengers paid $250,000 each for the chance to see the Titanic wreck site.

According to The Messenger's research, there is no such thing as a civilian submarine operator's license.

However, those with the 100-Ton USCG Master's License — the highest level license one can acquire — can operate vessels that have not been inspected, and carry with them seven or more passengers.