Wife of Missing Submarine CEO, Descendant of Elderly Couple Who Passed Away on Titanic 111 Years Ago

by Roh Kyungjo

Published 22 Jun.2023 19:00(KST)

The wife of the CEO of the submarine company who went missing during the Titanic wreck exploration is known to be a descendant of a victim who died when the Titanic sank 111 years ago.

Wendy Rush, wife of OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush. / Photo by Wendy Rush LinkedIn

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 21st (local time) that Wendy Rush, wife of Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, is the great-granddaughter of the "Strauss couple" who died on the Titanic in 1912.

Isidor and Ida Strauss were a couple who once boarded first class on the Titanic and met a tragic fate. Isidor, co-owner of Macy's department store at the time, was one of the wealthiest passengers on the Titanic. However, the Strauss couple gave up their lifeboats to others when the Titanic sank and stayed on the ship, passing away together.

According to survivors' testimonies, Isidor refused to board a lifeboat knowing there were not enough seats, and Ida chose to stay by her husband's side. In their final moments, they were seen holding each other tightly on the deck as the ship went under. Isidor's body was recovered two weeks after the accident, but Ida's body was never found. This couple was depicted in director James Cameron's film "Titanic" (1997) in a scene where the elderly couple embraces each other in bed as they meet their end.

The Titanic wreck was discovered in 1985 on the Atlantic seabed about 600 km south of the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Wendy married Stockton the following year in 1986 and is known to have participated in a total of three Titanic wreck explorations over the past two years. According to the NYT, she currently serves as OceanGate's communications director and has long been active as a director of the company's sponsoring foundation.