Sub pilot’s spouse has family link to Titanic: report

(NewsNation) —The wife of the CEO of OceanGate, who was also the man piloting the submersible that went missing, is a descendant of two passengers of the Titanic, according to a report in The New York Times citing archival records.

Wendy Rush is the wife of Stockton Rush, who was piloting the submersible that went missing in the Atlantic Ocean during a dive to the Titanic wreckage.

The New York Times report revealed that Wendy Rush is a descendant of Isidor and Ida Straus, two first-class passengers who tragically died when the Titanic sank in 1912.

Isidor Straus was a co-owner of Macy’s department store, and their story of refusing to separate during the disaster became well-known, The New York Times noted.

According to the report, Isidor and Ida Straus are remembered for their tragic love story. Isidor refused a seat on a lifeboat to stay with his wife, and they were last seen together on the Titanic’s deck. Their story was fictionalized in James Cameron’s 1997 film “Titanic.”

Isidor Straus’ body was found at sea, according to New York Times archives, but Ida Straus’ remains were never recovered, the report said.

Wendy Rush is descended from the Straus’ daughter, Minnie, and her husband Dr. Richard Weil.

Wendy Rush, formerly Wendy Hollings Weil, married Stockton Rush in 1986, according to a New York Times wedding announcement. She participated in three OceanGate expeditions to the Titanic wreckage, according to her LinkedIn page.

Late Thursday morning, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed a “debris field” had been found on the sea floor near the Titanic wreckage as search efforts for the OceanGate submersible continued.