Pictured: British billionaire aboard missing Titanic sub as French expert also feared
A British billionaire is on board a submersible which has vanished during a mission to the site of the Titanic’s wreckage, with a renowned French explorer and the CEO of the expedition company also believed to be on board.
Hamish Harding, 58, is part of the crew on board the vessel which is believed to have embarked on its journey from Newfoundland, in Canada, at 4am on Sunday. A frantic search and rescue mission is now underway to locate and recover the craft, which can hold five people.
Harding, who also recently traveled to space in a Blue Origin craft owned by Jeff Bezos, said the crew was also expected to include veteran French explorer PH Nargeolet, a pre-eminent expert on the Titanic who has led a number of expeditions to the ship’s wreckage.
Stockton Rush, the CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions, which operated the trip, is also feared to be on board, Sky News reported. And PH Nargeolet, the world’s top Titanic wreck expert is present on the submersible too, a friend told a Canadian news station.
The developments came as it emerged another explorer, David Concannon, who was slated to join the trip was forced to cancel at the last minute. He is now helping with the rescue efforts.
Among those taking part in the expedition is billionaire Hamish Harding, CEO of Action Aviation in Dubai. He excitedly posted to social media about being there yesterday
French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet is believed to be taking part in the expedition, though it’s unclear if he is onboard the missing sub. Harding said on Saturday that Nargeolet was one of several ‘legendary explorers’ who were set to take part in the dive
Stockton Rush, the CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions, which operated the trip, is also feared to be on board
The Boston Coastguard is now looking for the missing vessel. The wreckage of the iconic ship sits 12,500ft underwater around 370 miles from Newfoundland, Canada
Harding’s stepson, Brian Szasz, said on Facebook that he was sending ‘thoughts and prayers’ following the disappearance.
‘Pray for a successful recovery,’ he added. ‘Thoughts and prayers for my stepfather Hamish Harding as his submarine has gone missing exploring Titanic. Search and rescue mission is underway.’
Harding is a renowned explorer who holds several world records. In 2019, he led a mission which set the world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the earth over both poles.
He also holds the record for the longest amount of time spent at the bottom of the ocean after traversing the Mariana trench, the deepest point on Earth, for four hours and 15 minutes. The father-of-two also holds another record for the longest distance, three miles, covered at the bottom of the ocean.
Harding, the chairman of Action Aviation, was a passenger on the fifth commercial flight of Blue Origin, the space travel company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
On Saturday, he posted his pride at joining the Titanic mission and said: ‘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. A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow.’
‘The team on the sub has a couple of legendary explorers, some of which have done over 30 dives to the RMS Titanic since the 1980s including PH Nargeolet,’ he added.
Paul Henri Nargeolet, 77, is a former Commander in the French Navy who is hailed as a world-leading expert on the Titanic wreckage.
A crew of five were on board the missing Titan submersible, including British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding. The CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush, and French explorer PH Nargeolet are also feared to be on board
Harding posted to Instagram on Saturday that he would part of the submersible’s dive to the Titanic’s wreckage
In 2019, he spoke frankly about the risks of leading missions to the site, which is 12,500ft – 2.5 miles – underwater around 370 miles from Newfoundland.
‘If you are 11 [miles] or 11km down, if something bad happens, the result is the same. When you’re in very deep water, you’re dead before you realize that something is happening, so it’s just not a problem.’
The submersible was transported to the location of the wreckage site by ship during an expedition made up of a larger team of explorers and enthusiasts. OceanGate Expeditions is thought to be the only company that offers tours of the Titanic wreckage.
Larry Daley, a diver based in St John’s, told CBC that Nargeolet was on board the submersible.
‘My thoughts and prayers are with everyone… all the people in the sub and the people that are out there looking,’ he said. ‘I’m very optimistic that this will come to a very happy ending, and I’m hopeful that it will.’
It has also emerged another professional explorer who was slated to join the voyage was forced to cancel at short notice.
David Concannon, an attorney who also runs an exploration consultancy firm, said he pulled out at the last-minute to another ‘urgent client matter’ but was now proving assistance to the rescue teams.
The Polar Prince is the expedition ship used to take tourists from Newfoundland out to the wreckage site. The sub is deployed once out at sea
David Concannon, an attorney and explorer, was slated to join the submersible mission but was forced to pull out at the last minute
Video from a previous mission shows the interior of the submersible that has been underwater since yesterday morning
Images from Ocean Gate, one of the tour companies that operates the expeditions, show the wreckage
Concannon said in a statement shared by Titanic Book Club: ‘As I posted last week I was supposed to be on this expedition and, indeed, on this dive, but I had to cancel to attend to another urgent client matter.
‘Last night, I was called and asked to provide whatever assistance I could to ensure the safe return of everyone in the sub. Of course, I immediately agreed.
‘I know you are concerned for the safety of me and everyone at sea, but PLEASE STOP calling, texting, messaging, sending carrier pigeons and all other forms of communication during this critical time.
‘You are interfering with more important communications that need to be made to resolve this situation as quickly and as safely as possible. Thank you!’
Rory Golden, an explorer who is board the ship that launched the sub, added: ‘We have a situation that is now the part of a major Search and Rescue effort, being undertaken by major agencies. That is where our focus is right now.
‘The reaction and offers of help globally is truly astonishing, and only goes to show the real goodness in people at a time like this. Our online and internet options are being restricted in order to keep bandwidth available for the co-ordinated effort that is taking place, so please bear that in mind too.’