The U.S. Coast Guard revealed on Thursday that the five people on board the missing submersible vehicle had perished in a horrific implosion after days of frantic searching around the Atlantic Ocean.
According to OceanGate, the firm that ran the submersible, Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet were inside the vessel that set out on the deep-dive excursion. The Coast Guard reports that their relatives were informed following the discovery of vessel debris on the ocean floor.
"During this terrible moment, our thoughts and prayers are with these five people and every one of their families. They brought happiness to everyone they knew, and we mourn their death, OceanGate stated in a statement on Thursday.
Five crew members could be kept alive on board the submersible for a duration of 96 hours thanks to its life support system. Around 1,600 feet from the Titanic disaster, the Coast Guard reported finding debris on the ocean floor on Thursday that was consistent with "catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber."
The event is still under investigation.
Here's what we know about the victims.
Hamish Harding
Exploration was nothing new to Hamish Harding.
2019 saw Harding complete an Earth-circumnavigation. In the Mariana Trench's Challenger Deep, the lowest point on Earth, he underwent a descent in 2021. And he took Blue Origin's New Shepard into orbit last year.
Dirty Dozen Productions/AFP via Getty Images
In a Facebook post, Harding, a British businessman and the chairman of Action Aviation, described his dive to the Titanic disaster.
"This mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023," he said in a post on Sunday. "Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years," he added. We're planning to do a dive tomorrow because a weather window suddenly opened up.
Felix Kunze/AP
Harding, a certified air transport pilot who is the holder of three Guinness World Records, was "an extraordinarily accomplished individual who has successfully undertaken challenging expeditions," Action Aviation stated in a statement.
He aided with "the reintroduction of Cheetahs from Namibia to India" and "has been to the South Pole a number of times," the business added. He also made ocean dives and launched into space. In 2022, Harding was recognised as a Living Legend of Aviation.
Harding's family and Action Aviation issued a statement on Thursday afternoon stating that they were "united in grief with the other families who have also lost their loved ones on the Titan submersible."
"Hamish Harding was a loving husband to his wife and a dedicated father to his two sons, whom he loved deeply," the statement said. "Whatever the terrain, he was a passionate adventurer who lived for his family, his business, and the next adventure. His lifetime accomplishments were genuinely exceptional, and if there is any tiny solace to be found in this tragedy, it is that he died doing what he loved.
"We know that Hamish would have been immensely proud to see how nations, experts, industry colleagues and friends came together for the search and we extend our heartfelt thanks for all their efforts," the family and business said in their statement.
Shahzada and Suleman Dawood
Dawood Family
Shahzada Dawood served as vice chairman of the enormous Karachi, Pakistan-based Engro Corporation Limited. His son is Suleman Dawood, according to a statement from the family.
A coworker said that the Dawoods were both British nationals.
According to the family, Shahzada Dawood, a husband and father of two, enjoyed photography, gardening, and exploring natural areas.
University student Suleman Dawood loved reading science fiction novels and discovering new things.
Shahzada's brother Samad Dawood revealed in an interview that he, his sister, and his father all went to Newfoundland in the hopes of receiving better news.
Samad Dawood sobbed as he thought of his nephew.
He said in his interview that "he was so humble and grateful." "His death also brought the world together, and I thank him for it," the speaker said. "I think it's sad but also amazing."
Samad Dawood said his brother "inspired in us audacity from a very young age."
Samad Dawood remarked, "He was always the sort of person who had love for the world. He was a man who, despite pushing himself to do it, just wanted to get out there and see what the world had to offer.\
The Dawood family expressed their thanks for everyone engaged in the rescue efforts in a statement they posted on Thursday.
In the statement, they said that "their tireless efforts were a source of strength for us during this time." "We owe a debt of gratitude to all of our friends, family, coworkers, and well-wishers who supported us when we needed them most. The overwhelming love and support we receive helps us cope with this unfathomable loss every day.
The family also expressed their sincere sympathies to the families of the other Titan submarine passengers. We are unable to take calls at this time and ask that support, condolences, and prayers be sent through message. The specifics of their last rituals in this life will shortly be revealed.
Engro expressed their sympathies for both Suleman Dawood and Shahzada in a statement late on Thursday.
We mourn the passing of our Vice Chairman, Shahzada Dawood, and his cherished son, Suleman Dawood, the business added in the statement. "At this tragic time, our thoughts and prayers are with the Dawood family."
We offer our sincere sympathies to the bereaved person's family, friends, and coworkers as well as to everyone else in the globe.
Paul-Henri Nargeolet
One of the travellers was Paul-Henri Nargeolet, also known as PH, a diver and expert on the Titanic. He served as RMS Titanic Inc.'s director of underwater research, the business claims.
The most recent Titanic site excursion Nargeolet oversaw was in 2010.
Stockton Rush
Stockton Rush, as stated on the OceanGate website, "oversees OceanGate's financial and engineering strategies and provides a clear vision for development of 4,000 metre (13,123 feet) and 6,000 metre (19,685 feet) capable crewed submersibles and their partner launch and recovery platforms."
According to OceanGate's website, Rush "has written numerous engineering articles on crewed submersible vehicles in subsea operations." Rush studied aeronautical engineering at Princeton University and received an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley.
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