Swindled

120. The Descent (OceanGate)

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Nov 25, 2024
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ANECDOTE

Fossett's Disappearance

  • Steve Fossett, a millionaire adventurer, disappeared on a casual plane ride in 2007.
  • An extensive search ensued, uncovering other plane crashes but no trace of Fossett for over a year.
INSIGHT

Secret Project

  • After Fossett's death, it was revealed he'd been planning a secret solo dive to the Mariana Trench.
  • He funded engineer Graham Hawkes to build the Deep Flight Challenger submersible for this purpose.
ANECDOTE

Virgin Oceanic's Failed Attempt

  • Richard Branson's Virgin Oceanic acquired Deep Flight Challenger, planning dives to the deepest points of all five oceans.
  • Testing revealed carbon fiber's weakness under pressure, leading to project cancellation.
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