It is quite a coincidence that the wife of the pilot of the missing submersible exploring the wreck of the Titanic is a descendant of a couple who perished in the Titanic disaster in 1912.
The submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, lost communication on June 18 after diving to the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean for about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
On board the Titan submersible were 5 people, including Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions and the pilot of the vessel exploring the Titanic wreck at a depth of 3,800 meters. OceanGate Expeditions is the owner of the Titan submersible.
Interestingly, Mr. Stockton Rush’s wife is Wendy Rush – a descendant of the wealthy couple who tragically died in the Titanic sinking in 1912.
Specifically, Mrs. Wendy Rush is the great-granddaughter of retail magnate Isidor Straus (born in 1845) and his wife Ida Straus. Archive records indicate that Mr. and Mrs. Isidor Straus were among the wealthiest passengers on the fateful journey of the legendary Titanic.
Mrs. Wendy Rush is a descendant of the couple who perished in the Titanic disaster in 1912. (Photo: WENDY RUSH LINKEDIN).
Survivors of the tragedy recalled seeing Mrs. Ida Straus refusing to board a lifeboat to stay with her husband, Mr. Isidor Straus, on the sinking ship. They recounted how the couple held hands until they were swept away into the sea.
Two weeks after the tragedy, rescue teams found the body of Isidor Straus, while the fate of Ida Straus remains a mystery.
These real-life figures were adapted and appeared in the blockbuster film ‘Titanic’ directed by James Cameron in 1997. The love story of Mr. and Mrs. Isidor Straus was depicted with the image of the elderly couple embracing before the water rose around the cabin, becoming an iconic representation in popular culture.
Photo of Mr. and Mrs. Isidor Straus taken around 1910. (Photo: STRAUS HISTORICAL SOCIETY).
The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, in the North Atlantic after colliding with an iceberg during its journey from Southampton, England, to New York, USA.
Despite continuously sending distress signals and firing flares from the deck, it took nearly 2 hours for help to arrive. The Carpathia was the first rescue ship to reach the Titanic, saving over 700 people, while more than 1,517 lost their lives.
At the time of the disaster, the ship was carrying 2,224 passengers and crew under the command of Captain Edward Smith.
The wreck of the Titanic at the ocean floor at a depth of 3,800m off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. (Photo: OceanGate).
The missing Titan submersible is estimated to have run out of oxygen by the evening of June 22 (Vietnam time). (Photo: OceanGate Expeditions)
Regarding Wendy Rush, she married Stockton Rush in 1986. Currently, she holds the position of Director of Communications at OceanGate and has been a long-time board member of the company’s charitable foundation.
Like her husband, Wendy has a great passion for exploration. Over the past two years, she has participated in three expeditions to the Titanic wreck with OceanGate.
As for the fate of the Titan submersible, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed on June 22 that the vessel had imploded underwater and all 5 people on board perished.
