Pictured: British billionaire aboard missing Titanic submarine as French expert also feared lost

A British billionaire is aboard a submarine that has disappeared during a mission to the site of the Titanic wreck, presumably carrying a famous French explorer and the CEO of the shipping company.

Hamish Harding, 58, is part of the crew aboard the ship believed to have departed from Newfoundland, Canada at 4 a.m. on Sunday. A frantic search and rescue mission is now underway to locate and recover the vessel, which can accommodate five people.

Harding, who also recently traveled to space in a Blue Origin craft, said the crew was expected to include veteran French explorer PH Nargeolet, a leading expert on the Titanic who led a number of expeditions to the wreckage of the Titanic. ship led.

It is also feared that Stockton Rush, the CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions, who conducted the trip, is on board. sky news reported.

French naval veteran PH Nargeolet is believed to be taking part in the expedition, although it is unclear if he is aboard the missing submarine. Harding said on Saturday that Nargeolet was one of many “legendary explorers” who would take part in the dive

The Boston Coast Guard is now searching for the missing ship. The wreck of the iconic ship lies 12,500 feet underwater, about 370 miles from Newfoundland, Canada

Harding’s stepson, Brian Szasz, said on Facebook that he sent “thoughts and prayers” following the disappearance.

“Pray for a successful recovery,” he added. Thoughts and prayers for my stepfather Hamish Harding as his submarine went missing while exploring the Titanic. Search and rescue mission is underway.”

Harding is a famous explorer who holds several world records. In 2019, he led a mission that set the world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the Earth over both poles.

It also holds the record for the longest 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, traveled on the bottom of the ocean.

Harding, the chairman of Action Aviation, was a passenger on the fifth commercial flight of Blue Origin, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company.

On Saturday, he posted his pride at being part of the Titanic mission, saying: “Due to Newfoundland’s harshest winter in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023. It will open and we will attempt a dive tomorrow doing.’

“The team on the submarine has a number of legendary explorers, some of whom have made more than 30 dives on the RMS Titanic since the 1980s, including PH Nargeolet,” he added.

Paul Henri Nargeolet, 77, is a former French Navy commander hailed as a leading expert on the Titanic wreck.

In 2019, he spoke candidly about the risks of leading missions to the site, which is 12,500 ft – 2.5 miles – underwater, about 600 miles from Newfoundland.

‘When you’re 11 [miles] or 11 km down, if something bad happens, the result is the same. If you’re in really deep water, you’ll be dead before you realize something’s wrong, so it’s just not a big deal.”

The submarine was transported to the wreck site by ship on an expedition consisting of a larger team of explorers and enthusiasts. OceanGate Expeditions is believed to be the only company offering guided tours of the Titanic wreck.

It has also emerged that another professional explorer who was about to join the trip was forced to cancel at short notice.

David Concannon, a lawyer who also runs an investigative consultancy, said he pulled out at the last minute over another “urgent client matter” but was now assisting rescue teams.

The Polar Prince is the expedition ship used to take tourists from Newfoundland to the wreck. The submarine is deployed once at sea

Video from a previous mission shows the submarine’s interior, submerged since yesterday morning

Footage from Ocean Gate, one of the travel companies running the expeditions, shows 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 customer matter.

“Last night I was called and asked to provide all possible assistance to ensure the safe return of everyone in the submarine. 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, homing pigeons and all other forms of communication at this critical time.

“You are disrupting more important communications that are necessary to resolve this situation as quickly and safely as possible. Thank you!’

Rory Golden, an explorer who is aboard the ship that launched the submarine, added: “We have a situation that is now part of a major search and rescue effort being carried out by major agencies. That is where our focus is now.

“The response and the offer of help worldwide is truly amazing, and just shows the real goodness in people at a time like this. Our online and internet capabilities are being limited to keep bandwidth available for the coordinated effort that is taking place, so keep that in mind as well.”