The well-known YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, also known as ‘MrBeast’, revealed on Sunday through his social networks that he turned down an invitation to join the expedition of the Titan submersible, developed by the company OceanGate, which suffered an implosion last week while attempting to visit the remains of the Titanic, resulting in the tragic deaths of the five members of its crew.
“I was invited to travel on the Titan submarine earlier this month, but I said no. I’ve been on the Titan for a while now,” he said. It’s a bit scary to think I could have been on it,” he wrote, attaching a screenshot of a conversation in which he was invited to view the wreckage of the famous ocean liner.
Mr. Beast was not the only person to turn down the opportunity to be part of the submersible’s crew. American businessman Jay Bloom also declined to take part in the expedition at the last minute, despite attempts by OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, due to concerns about the safety of the submarine.
The submersible generated concern after losing communication with its mother ship approximately one hour and 45 minutes after beginning the dive to the Titanic’s wreckage, which rests at a depth of 3,800 meters on the bottom of the Atlantic, some 600 kilometers off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
After conducting search and rescue operations, the US Coast Guard reported that parts of the stern cone and pressure chamber were discovered about 500 meters from the Titanic’s bow. In addition, they indicated that the wreckage found suggests the demise of the five crew members of the submersible.
The US Coast Guard is currently conducting an investigation into the incident to determine the causes that led to the submersible’s implosion.