Titan submersible CEO made damning joke months before fatal implosion

OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush made an eerie joke months before the fatal Titan submersible disaster.

Last June, the US businessman took four passengers down into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean to see the wreckage of the Titanic up close.

However, the journey would end in tragedy when the submersible imploded and pieces of debris were later recovered about 500 metres northeast of the Titanic's bow.

Rush and fellow passengers Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet would lose their lives in the incident.

The doomed sub is back in the news once again, amid on ongoing hearing into the disaster.

The fatal incident is now the subject of a hearing (OceanGate Expeditions)

However, it would appear the June tragedy wasn't the first time the submersible had been faced with safety concerns.

Released as part of a ITN's documentary The Titan Sub Disaster: Minute by Minute, the clip in question featured Rush doing an interview for Canadian station St John's Radio when he joked, 'What could go wrong?' when asked about the submersible.

The interview took place a little more than four-and-a-half months before the fatal voyage to the Titanic.

This isn't the first time comments from Rush have resurfaced in the wake of the disaster, with the BBC reporting that a transcript from 2018 captured a tense exchange between Rush and ex-OceanGate Director of Marine Operations, David Lochridge.

During the tense conversation, it is alleged that Lochridge raised concerns about safety to Rush, to which he replied: "I have no desire to die... I think this is one of the safest things I will ever do."

Former OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush ( Becky Kagan Schott)

Meanwhile the South Carolina hearing - which is being conducted by the US Coast Guard - has also seen new footage released of the imploded sub lying on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the devastating final words of the passengers being revealed.

The passengers on the Titan were in contact with the crew of nearby support vessel, the Polar Prince, as they made the 12,500 feet descent towards the ocean floor. During the journey, staff onboard the Polar Prince exchanged various messages with the Titan - with the last words they heard being 'All good'.

Various safety concerns have also been raised at the hearing, with Lochridge testifying there was a 'push' to launch the vessel.

"They were very push push push to get this out the door as fast as possible so they could start making profit," he said at the hearing on Tuesday.

Lochridge also testified that he had 'had no confidence whatsoever' in the Titan's construction.