Rosario Monachino
A chilling ‘death waiver’ which was signed by missing Titanic submarine passengers has been exposed.
The Titan submarine lost connection with the US Coast Guard roughly one hour and 45 minutes into its journey to the wreckage of the infamous ship.
This led to ships from all over the globe being drafted in to aid the search for the vessel.
Tragically, it was confirmed on Thursday that the five crew members had lost their lives after debris was found.
Watch OceanGates CEO speak about the Titan below…
The passengers on board the Titan were British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding, 58, Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman Dawood, 19, French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77 and Oceangate’s CEO and founder Stockton Rush, 61.
Tickets for the tour to the infamous ship reportedly cost $250,000 (£195,000) – it was meant to be a part of an eight-day trip that included dives to the wreck at a depth of 3,800m (12,500ft).
But along with paying a huge fee, those wanting to take part had to sign a ‘death waiver’.
Mike Reiss, a producer and writer on The Simpsons, took part in the excursion to the Titanic with OceanGate last year.
Reiss and his wife Denise are believed to have paid over $100,000 to be onboard.
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However, she tested positive for Covid-19 and had to stay on the surface vessel while the other passengers embarked on an eight-hour dive towards the wreckage.
Speaking to the New York Post, Reiss explained the document they had to sign before going on board.
He told the outlet: “Death is always lurking, it’s always in the back of your mind.
“Before you even get on the boat, there’s a long, long waiver that mentions death three times on page one.”
He claimed that the only training they received was how to get into a survival suit.
Although, since the recent devastating incident, one TikToker has done a breakdown of the waiver.
In a video that has been viewed 134,000 times, Austin Ayers goes through the release of liability agreement which states that any ‘failure of the vessel’ while a passenger is on board can result in ‘serious injury or death’.
@theaustinayers We have the waiver! #titan #titanic #oceangate ♬ original sound – TheAustinAyers
“Death is said multiple times here,” he says. “Basically, they are not held responsible for anything or so they claim.
“This is insane.”
An investigation is set to continue to find out exactly what happened to the vessel – as well as the possibility of Oceangate being placed under a federal probe, as per the Daily Mail.
Rush had previously spoken about his fears for the safety of his ship, admitting that he was worried about it returning to the surface.
Related Article: Teenager Killed In Titanic Sub ‘Implosion’ Was ‘Terrified’ About Trip
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Speaking on the Unsung Science podcast – which is hosted by CBS journalist David Pogue – last year, Rush said: “What I worry about most are things that will stop me from being able to get to the surface.
“Overhangs, fish nets, entanglement hazards. And, that’s just a technique, piloting technique.
“It’s pretty clear – if it’s an overhang, don’t go under it. If there is a net, don’t go near it. So, you can avoid those if you are just slow and steady.”
However, he did defend his vessel by claiming that risks need to be taken ‘at some point’.
He added: “You know, at some point, safety just is a pure waste. I mean, if you just want to be safe, don’t get out of bed.
“At some point, you’re going to take some risk, and it really is a risk/reward question. I think I can do this just as safely by breaking the rules.”
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