Rush, 61, is remembered on the list as a “pilot, engineer, and businessman who oversaw the design and construction of the OceanGate submersible Titan, intended to take tourists to view the wreck of the Titanic.”

His inclusion on the list follows that of Thomas Andrews, the renowned naval architect responsible for the Titanic’s plans, who tragically perished onboard and whose body was reportedly never found.

Rush was joined on the excursion by Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, British businessman Hamish Harding, and French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

Titanic Sub Disaster - Stockton Rush Added to List of Inventors Killed By Their Own Inventions

In a press conference on Thursday, U.S. Coast Guard officials announced that all five passengers were presumed dead, following the discovery of fragments of the missing sub near the Titanic by a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) deployed from the Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic.

Nargeolet’s friend, Fred Hagen, shared with PEOPLE that Rush created the Titan “in order to explore the deepest depths” of the ocean and that “he wanted to democratize the sea and open it up to individuals.”
Stockton Rush’s Passion For The Titanic

The excursions bound for the Titanic began in 2021, with a total of 18 dives planned to commence starting this summer.

In a previous interview with Princeton University, Rush shared that his passion for the Titanic was based on a “wealth of information waiting to be discovered.”

“There’s not a lot of data on how these ships decay…

“There are thousands of shipwrecks worldwide that sank with over 500,000 gallons of toxic substances, typically fuel oil.”

Speaking about OceanGate’s expedition, he shared that:

“part of what we do is get people to appreciate that most of human history is underwater.”