The pilot and four passengers of the Titan submersible that vanished during a mission to explore the Titanic wreckage are believed to be dead, authorities say.
British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, UK citizens Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood, French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet and OceanGate Expeditions chief executive Stockton Rush had “sadly been lost”, the company announced.
The US Coast Guard offered its “deepest condolences” to the families after the tail cone of the vessel was found around 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic wreck.
Follow live coverage of the Titanic sub in our live blog here
There was a “catastrophic implosion” of the Titan’s pressure chamber, the expeditions company said.
It added: “These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans.
“Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time.
“We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.”
This what is known about the five people on board:
Hamish Harding
Hamish Harding posted about his plans to see the Titanic wreckage two days before the sub went missing
(Facebook/Hamish Harding)
Hamish Harding, 58, chairman of private plane firm Action Aviation, had posted on social media that he was proud to be heading to the Titanic as a “mission specialist”, adding: “Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023.”
He had previously travelled to the bottom of the ocean on the Challenger Deep and into space on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin.
The father of two was a seasoned explorer and held three Guinness World Records, including the longest duration at full ocean depth by a crewed vessel. He dived to the lowest depth of the Mariana Trench in March 2021.
Dubai-based Mr Harding was also on board the 2019 “One More Orbit” flight mission that set a record for the fastest circumnavigation of Earth by aircraft over both geographic poles.
“He doesn’t stand still. If he’s not working hard, he’s exploring hard,” said Jannicke Mikkelsen, an explorer and friend.
Paul-Henri Nargeolet
French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet was described by OceanGate as the “Titanic’s greatest…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…