Titan Sub CEO's Wife Holds An Eerie Family Connection To The Titanic

The world has closely followed the harrowing events regarding the OceanGate submersible. It all started on June 18, when the vessel, led by CEO Stockton Rush, made its way to the infamous Titanic wreck, located at the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean at around 12,500 feet, per CBS News. The passengers of the sub included billionaire British businessman Hamish Harding, British-Pakistani businessman Shazada Dawood and his son Suleman, and French explorer Paul-Henry Nargeolet. But the two-hour descent to the devastating underwater site resulted in tragedy after the sub lost contact with its surface vessel and didn't return to the surface at its scheduled time. With the help of Canadian and French officials, the US Coast Guard and US Navy conducted a tireless search for the vessel, which reportedly had minimal oxygen left.

Unfortunately after three days of searching, officials found and later confirmed debris from the sub near the Titanic wreckage. "This morning, an ROV from the vessel Horizon Artic discovered the tailcone of the Titan submersible approximately 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic on the sea floor," the US Coast Guard said in a statement, per NBC New York. "In consultation with experts from within the unified command, the debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber." 

In the wake of the horrifying tragedy, new information has started to come out about the sub's passengers, including Stockton's wife's familial ties to the Titanic. Here's a look into Wendy Rush's eye-opening connection. 

Wendy Rush is a descendant of two famous passengers of the Titanic

According to The New York Times, Wendy Rush, the wife of the late OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, is the great-great-granddaughter of Isidor and Ida Straus, two famous passengers who died on the RMS Titanic. Before their tragic death in 1912, the couple lived a privileged life in the hustle and bustle of New York City, as Isidor was co-owner of Macy's department store. In an interview with Titanic Belfast, the couple's other great-great-granddaughter Jessica Straus revealed that their presence on the Titanic happened last minute. "My great-great grandparents had been on holiday in the Riviera, and they decided to book passage back to New York on board RMS Titanic. This wasn't an expected trip, it was a last-minute decision," she explained.

An additional report from the UK National Archives further confirmed that Isidor and Ida preferred to travel on German vessels, but were "lured by the newly commissioned Titanic." Even though the prominent twosome tragically perished with the ship, their deaths stemmed from an act of bravery. According to reports, Isidor reportedly refused his seat on a lifeboat until all the women and children were taken from the ship. In response, Ida also declined to board, telling her husband, "Where you go, I go." While Wendy Rush has yet to comment on her familial connection, the Straus Historical Society confirmed her relation in a statement to Today. "Wendy Weil Rush is the great, great-granddaughter of Isidor and Ida Straus"

Isidor and Ida Straus's story was featured in James Cameron's Titanic

Back in 1997, the movie industry was forever changed when director James Cameron released his critically acclaimed and Oscar-winning drama "Titanic." While the film follows the fictional love story between Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet), there are also nods to real-life passengers, including Wendy Rush's great-great-grandparents, Isidor and Ida Straus. In one of the movie's most memorable scenes, the two figures, played by Lew Palter and Elsa Raven, are shown embracing on their bed as water starts to seep into their room. However the aforementioned moment wasn't the only time they were featured.

In a deleted scene, Isidor can be seen encouraging Ida to go back onto the lifeboat, but to no avail. "No, we've been together for 40 years, and where you go, I go," Ida says. "Don't argue with me, Isidor, you know it does no good." 

In a National Geographic special titled "Titanic: 20 Years Later with James Cameron," Isidor and Ida's great-grandson Paul A. Kurzman opened up about his grandparents and their depiction in the film. "When the end of the film came, I didn't want to move, I didn't want to leave the theater," he explained. Over the years, Kurzman and the Straus Historical Society have worked hard to keep Isidor and Ida's memory alive. "I hope that, in a time when this world needs a little more love, the lasting love story of Ida and Isidor Straus will give people hope," he told Country Living.