OceanGate CEO Called His Titan Sub ‘the iPhone’ of Submersibles Before Implosion

In newly released interview footage, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush is seen likening the ill-fated Titan submersible to the iPhone, emphasizing how his groundbreaking vessel was much more advanced than all previous submersibles.

"This is to other submersibles what the iPhone was to the Blackberry," Rush boasted while speaking to CBS News correspondent David Pogue last year.

Rush also likened himself to another well-known financier of exploratory tourism in the footage, which was aired this morning during CBS Sunday Morning.

"When you're trying something out that's outside the box, people inside the box think you're nuts," Rush explained. "Same thing when Elon Musk was doing SpaceX ... inside the box, everything is scary."

During the same interview, Rush discussed flaunting safety regulations in favor of innovation, and even discussed the submersible imploding.

"Certain things, you want to be buttoned down," Rush said when questioned about the underwater craft's safety, "and that's the pressure vessels. Once you are certain the pressure vessel won't collapse on everybody, everything else can fail — the thrusters can go, the lights can go — you're still gonna be safe."

During Sunday's segment, which features unaired interview footage, Pogue revealed that he agreed to board the Titan, in part, because French explorer Paul-Henry Nargeolet convinced him it was safe.

Both Rush and Nargeolet were killed instantly when the Titan imploded during an expedition to the Titanic wreck.

Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman, also died in the implosion, as did British explorer and billionaire Hamish Harding.

Pogue said that he spent nine days at sea with Rush, but never actually saw the Titanic. He noted the Titan had seven redundant resurfacing systems, and that Rush had a "three strikes rule" — if three things seemed out of the ordinary with the Titan before a dive, the mission was scrubbed.

The segment also shows the Titan had no dashboard, and only a single button: the ON/OFF switch.

Rush also admits during the interview to "Macgyvering" the Titan together with off-the-shelf products, like the off-brand PlayStation controller used to operate the sub.

The Titan first lost contact with its supply ship, the Polar Prince, approximately one hour and 45 minutes into its descent to the historic wreck a week ago.

Passengers aboard the Titan reportedly paid OceanGate $250,000 each for the expedition.

Days into their search, crews came across a debris field several hundred feet from the wreckage of the Titanic, which the Titan was on its way to explore when it vanished a week ago.

Towards the end of Sunday's segment, Rush is seen telling Pogue why he didn't follow in Elon's footsteps, and strive for space.

"I wanted to be sort of the Captain Kirk, I didn't want to be the passenger in the back," Rush said, "and I realized the ocean is the universe. That's where life is."