In a grievous incident that shook the underwater exploration industry, the mini-sub Titan's ill-fated dive to the Titanic wreck led to the tragic loss of five lives, including the sub's pilot, Stockton Rush. Technical experts attribute this catastrophe to subpar materials, a flawed design, and an overzealous cost-cutting approach.

The now-deceased Rush, a 61-year-old CEO of OceanGate Expeditions - the operator of the submersible, reportedly disregarded safety protocols, procured below-standard materials on the cheap, and allegedly even employed college students to manage the sub's electrical system, as per the investigation conducted by The National ENQUIRER.

On June 18, the fatal misadventure also claimed the lives of British entrepreneur Hamish Harding, renowned French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and Pakistani magnate Shahzada Dawood and his young son, Suleman. Sources indicate that Rush's dismissive attitude towards safety warnings was a critical factor in this tragic outcome.

"This disaster was entirely avoidable," states William Kohnen, chair of the Manned Underwater Vehicles Committee of the U.S.-based Marine Technology Society. Many industry leaders, including Kohnen, had previously expressed concerns over OceanGate's experimental methods during Titan's construction and their neglect in getting a safety inspection from an agency like the U.S. Coast Guard.

The decision to use aerospace-grade carbon fiber for the Titan's hull rather than the traditionally used stronger materials like steel and titanium has been identified as a significant design flaw.

"Carbon fiber is highly susceptible to defects and is considerably more fragile," remarks Stefano Brizzolara, a Virginia Tech ocean engineering professor. Even James Cameron, director of the movie "Titanic" and a submersibles expert, confirms that carbon fiber composites lack the strength to repeatedly endure the ocean's crushing pressure.

Disturbingly, travel editor Arnie Weissmann, who was meant to be part of the ill-starred expedition, revealed that Rush had procured the carbon fiber material from Boeing at a large discount, as it had exceeded its shelf life for aeronautical use.

Amidst these revelations, Boeing has categorically denied any association with OceanGate. Insiders also claim that by choosing carbon fiber, significant costs were saved that would have been spent on syntactic foam, a high-priced buoyant material, required to counterbalance titanium hulls.

Sources argue that Rush, in his pursuit of cost-saving, heedlessly dismissed numerous warnings concerning the sub's design, including those from former head pilot, David Lochridge, who had labeled Titan "a lemon." Lochridge was dismissed by Rush in 2018 after uncovering several critical faults in the sub.

Allegedly, OceanGate hired engineers in their late teens and early 20s, paying them a meager $15 per hour, to handle crucial aspects of the sub's design.

The chain of ill-advised decisions and budget-focused approaches turned the sub into a disaster in waiting. The fatal moment arrived when the sub catastrophically imploded nearly two hours into its 12,500-foot descent to the Titanic wreck. "There's no way on Earth you could have paid me to dive the thing," Lochridge had once warned.