The story of the missing submersible in the North Atlantic Ocean continues to capture the hearts and minds of the American public.
Of course, the main concern is whether the five men on board are OK — or even still alive — after the OceanGate Expeditions submersible first lost contact with above-water crew during its dive to the Titanic on Sunday. But now, we are learning even more about some of the people behind the company. And there is one jaw-dropping connection to the ill-fated voyage of the Titanic itself that has just been revealed.
Related: OceanGate Employee WARNED Disaster Could Happen — And They Were Fired?!
The CEO of OceanGate Expeditions is a man named Stockton Rush. He is among the five men who are trapped down in the submersible right now. And Stockton is married to a woman named Wendy Rush. Now, Wendy has a very interesting story. According to archival records obtained by the New York Times, Wendy is a direct descendant of Isador and Ida Straus.
You may know those names if you recall James Cameron‘s 1997 film Titanic — or if you’re just a history buff. Isador and Ida were the infamous couple who stayed on board the Titanic when it sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in April 1912. They sank to their deaths together, unwilling to leave each other after the ship hit an iceberg.
In real life, Ida refused to take a spot in a life boat meant for women and children. She turned down the offer and chose instead to stay with her husband. As the ship sank, they steadfastly remained on its deck together. Quickly, they perished in the ice-cold ocean water along with more than 1,500 other people.
In Cameron’s blockbuster film, the tale of Isador and Ida was shown through the old couple who remained in bed together as the ship went down. Water surged up around them as they held onto each other for warmth and emotional support. In both cases — real history and the re-imagined film version — they went to their deaths together after 40 years of married life. Then, weeks after the Titanic sank, Isador’s body was found drifting at sea. Ida’s body was never recovered.
Well, per the NYT, Wendy Rush is a direct descendant of the couple’s daughter Minnie Strauss. Minnie was married to Dr. Richard Weil in 1905. They had a son, Richard Weil Jr., who eventually became the president of the Macy’s department store in New York City.
Then, he had a son — Dr. Richard Weil III — who married and had Wendy. And there’s the connection, a direct lineage back to the Straus’ on board the Titanic.
Related: Missing Titanic Sub Billionaire’s Stepson Deletes Controversial Twitter Account, But…
Wendy married Stockton in 1986, according to NYT newspaper announcements. Per the New York Post, her LinkedIn page currently lists her as the communications director for OceanGate. On that professional page, Wendy also notes that she has been on three trips to the Titanic wreckage over the past several years. What an amazing connection to such a memorable time in history. Clearly, the Titanic wreckage and its storyline has meant a great personal deal to both Wendy and Stockton throughout their lives.
Here’s hoping search-and-rescue crews can somehow deliver the world good news about the five men who went down this week as this current-day tragedy continues to unfold.
[Image via OceanGate/YouTube/Paramount/YouTube]
