- Tragic Loss: Submersible Goes Missing During Titanic Wreck Dive
- Profiles of the Passengers Aboard the Submersible
- Search and Rescue Efforts Intensify in the Mid-Atlantic
Sunday, a submersible went AWOL during a dive into the Titanic’s wreck. Search teams are in a race against time to locate it.
Details are still emerging. Here is what we currently know about the five passengers:
The 58-year-old is the chairman of aircraft company Action Aviation, a well-known explorer who has flown to space, and the holder of three Guinness World Records.
Mr. Harding, a dealer in private jets, viewed his visit to the Titanic’s wreckage as the latest in a series of exploits.
He has visited the South Pole multiple times, once with former American astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and he flew into space on Blue Origin’s fifth human-crewed mission in 2022.
His three world records include the longest dive to the Mariana Trench’s deepest portion.
Mr. Harding tweeted that a ship had left St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, for Titanic debris over the weekend.
He and the crew planned to submerge the wreck Sunday morning at 04:00 local time (08:00 GMT).
He wrote on Facebook that he was “proud to finally announce” his participation in the expedition to the Titanic wreck.
Sunday, Action Aviation reported that the submarine’s launch was successful and that Mr. Harding was “currently diving.”
Later, his stepson Brian Szasz stated in a now-deleted Facebook post that his father “has gone missing on (the) submarine.”
David Mearns, a marine scientist and expedition leader, described Mr. Harding as a “very charming guy” whom he met many years ago at a dinner.
By the end of it, we had planned an expedition to ascend Kilimanjaro with our families, but Covid prevented it from happening. “This was his most recent of these extreme adventures,” he said.
Patrick Woodhead, the founder of British tour operator White Desert Antarctica, referred to Mr. Harding as an “incredible” aviation explorer and ardent proponent of discovering new methods to improve the world.
He added that his thoughts and condolences were with Mr. Harding’s wife, Linda, and his sons.
Shahzada and Suleman Dawood
Shahzada Dawood, a British industrialist from one of Pakistan’s wealthiest families, was traveling on the submarine with his son, Suleman.
On Tuesday, Pakistan’s Dawood family announced they were travelling to the Atlantic Ocean to see the Titanic’s wreckage.
“As of now, contact has been lost with their submersible craft, and there is limited information available,” the report stated.
The Surbiton, south-west London-based Dawood family is in Canada for a month.
According to its website, Shahzada Dawood is a trustee of the Seti Institute, a California-based research organization.
It is stated that he resides with his wife Christine and children Suleman and Alina.
He is also the vice-chairman of the Pakistani conglomerate Engro Corporation, which prayed for their “quick and safe return.”
In a statement, his parents said, “We are extremely appreciative of the concern shown by our coworkers and friends, and we ask that everyone pray for their safety.”
It said the family was properly cared for and they were hoping for their safe return.
Hussain Dawood, the father of Shahzada, was a founding patron of Prince’s Trust International, the King’s charity.
Will Straw, the company’s chief executive, stated that they were stunned by the news and were praying for a rescue.
Shahzada was a supporter of the British Asian Trust, which expressed its thoughts and condolences to the Dawood family.
CEO Richard Hawkes exclaimed, “We are all utterly devastated by the news that our dear friend and supporter Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman are on board.”
Henry Paul Nargeolet
Former French Navy diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet was also on board.
According to reports, he has spent more time at the wreck than any other explorer and was a member of the first expedition to examine it in 1987, only two years after it was discovered.
The 77-year-old man is the director of underwater research for the company that controls the Titanic wreck.
Mathieu Johann, a spokesman for Mr. Nargeolet’s family, said he hoped Mr. Nargeolet’s composure and military career would reassure the personnel on board, even though the outcome of the mission was not dependent on him.
Before boarding the sub, Mr. Nargeolet said he was looking forward to a wreck-recovery expedition next year.
David Mearns, a marine scientist who worked with Mr. Nargeolet, stated that Mr. Nargeolet would have visited the wreckage numerous times, would be familiar with the seabed, and would be able to remain composed under pressure.
Stockton Rush
Stockton Rush, the chief executive officer of OceanGate, is also widely believed to be on board.
Contact with the small submarine was lost approximately one hour and forty-five minutes into its Sunday descent in the mid-Atlantic.
Now, search teams are entering deeper waters to locate the vessel, but there has been no trace of it.
So far, military aircraft, a submarine, and sonar sensors have been utilized.
The Titanic’s wreckage is located approximately 700 kilometers (430 miles) south of St. John’s, Newfoundland, but the salvage mission is managed from Boston, Massachusetts.
According to the US Coast Guard, Polar Prince searched for the sub on Monday night.
It transports submersibles to the site of the shipwreck and served as the support vessel for Sunday’s tourism expedition.
The British Foreign Office stated that it was communicating with the families of three British nationals and with local authorities.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly stated, “We wish them the best of luck and hope they are found and returned to their families as soon as possible.”
OceanGate Expeditions’ eight-day expedition to the Titanic’s ruin commences in St. John’s and costs $250,000 (£195,600) per person.
Participants travel approximately 370 miles (595 kilometers) on a larger ship to the area above the Titanic ruin and then conduct an eight-hour dive in the Titan truck-sized submersible.
The Titan’s website says it can transport five passengers and provide “life support” for 96 hours.
The Titanic is 3,800m (12,500ft) below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. It is approximately 600 kilometers (370 miles) from Newfoundland’s coast.
In 1912, on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, the passenger liner, which was the largest ship of its time, collided with an iceberg. More than 1,500 of the 2,200 passengers and staff on board perished.
