Titanic expedition firm's CEO said his greatest fear was 'things that will stop me from being able to get to the surface'

• The CEO of a company whose sub is missing near the Titanic's wreckage talked to CBS last year.
• Stockton Rush discussed fears the vessel could get stuck and not surface.

The CEO of the company whose submersible went missing exploring the wreck of the RMS Titanic discussed his fears that the vessel would be unable to surface in an interview last year.

Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, is among the five passengers on the vessel which lost contact with its support ship Sunday.

Contact was lost about 1 hour and 45 minutes into an expedition to the remote North Atlantic site where the wreckage of the Titanic lies.

OceanGate Expeditions runs $250,000 a head trips on the submersible for those wishing to see the wreckage, that lies about 12,500 feet under the sea.

In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning last year, Rush discussed his company, and while stressing that there were serious risks involved, said that the trips were safe.

"What I worry about most are things that will stop me from being able to get to the surface," he said.

"Overhangs, fish nets, entanglement hazards. And, that's just a technique, piloting technique. It's pretty clear - if it's an overhang, don't go under it. If there is a net, don't go near it. So, you can avoid those if you are just slow and steady."

In the interview, Rush also explained how the vessel was built of five-inch-thick carbon fiber and titanium domes — and discussed seemingly improvised features, such as an Xbox controller used to maneuver and operate the vessel.

He said that there were seven ways for the vessel to get back to the surface in case one, or several, failed.

"You know, there's a limit. You know, at some point, safety just is pure waste. I mean, if you just want to be safe, don't get out of bed," he said.

"Don't get in your car. Don't do anything. At some point, you're going to take some risk, and it really is a risk/reward question. I think I can do this just as safely by breaking the rules," Rush told the outlet.

Overall, Rush insisted that travelling on submersibles was safe.

"I don't think it's very dangerous. If you look at submersible activity over the last three decades, there hasn't even been a major injury, let alone a fatality," said Rush.