Following the tragic events of the OceanGate Titan submersible, a father has revealed how his family was spared from disaster thanks to his son's observations.
On Thursday, it was revealed by the US Coast Guard that the ill-fated sub had suffered a "catastrophic implosion" while on a voyage 12,500ft deep to the wreckage of the Titanic.
The five individuals onboard are believed to have perished as a result of the tragedy.
Now, Las Vegas financier and father Jay Bloom has revealed the red flags that saved him and his son Sean from embarking on the ill-fated trip.
Sharing their story with PEOPLE, young Titanic enthusiast Sean, 20, says had his dream voyage to the ocean's depths marred by safety concerns.
"The whole reason my dad didn’t go was because I told him, ‘Dude, this submarine cannot survive going that deep in the ocean,’" Sean told the publication.
Sean and his friend Simon critically assessed the Titan sub, their would-be vessel for the ambitious deep-sea dive off Newfoundland's icy coast. The young men's alarm bells rang at the prospect of cramming into the compact submarine. "It just felt super unsafe. Something was telling me this was not the move," Sean adds.
A meeting between the Blooms and Stockton Rus - the late OceanGate CEO who lost his life on the sub - amplified their concerns.
The CEO had fervently vouched for the submersible's safety during their tour of the Titanic exhibition at Las Vegas' Luxor Hotel. Rush asserted, according to Jay: "This is safer than flying a helicopter. It's safer than scuba diving...It's safer than crossing the street."
Despite Rush's enthusiasm, the Blooms remained wary of the potential risk.
Jay Bloom has since posted text exchanges with Rush on his Facebook page, appearing to reveal the CEO's persistent persuasion tactics, including offers of substantial discounts.
The alleged messages from Rush show that the CEO was confident about the trip, insistent that he was merely utilizing tourism to finance his scientific endeavors. "He was doing research...He was using tourists to pay for it. That's how he was financing his operation, by charging observers to go with him," Jay recalls.
Rush, who believed in his mission to the point of dismissing safety concerns, filled the vacant spots with Pakistani tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, 19, after Jay and Sean declined.
Shahzada and Suleman were two of the five individuals who also lost their lives in the ill-fated endeavor.
Jay calls the decision to back out of the trip a 'near miss' and admits that it haunts him every time he sees media coverage of the tragedy. "Every time I turn on a television or open my computer, there's a story...But for the grace of God, that would be our picture," Jay says.
Sean’s first red flag emerged when Rush landed at a North Las Vegas airport in a self-built plane, instead of using the commercial McCarran airport. But, it was the Titan's video game-like piloting system that shocked him the most.
Sean was expecting the submarine to be akin to the massive vessels used by Titanic discoverer Robert Ballard. "And the submarine Stockton was using just did not look at all ready. I just saw a bunch of red flags at the project. It didn’t seem like a safe operation," Sean admits.
The Titan tragedy stands as a stark reminder of the dangers lurking in extreme touristic adventures. While many question OceanGate's age restrictions, which only barred individuals 17 years and younger, Sean firmly believes he was old enough to make an informed decision.
He said: "I made the informed decision not to do this... It’s crazy that people who did go were in a similar situation as me and my dad."
