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KEY Points
Inside cramped submarine vessel that went missing on Titanic wreckage dive
British billionaire named as missing passenger
Search for missing Titanic sub 'expanding' into deeper waters
Friend of UK billionaire missing on Titanic sub recalls final text he received from him
Father and son confirmed to be onboard missing Titanic submersible
Missing Titanic sub only has 41 hours of breathable air left
Diver who pulled out of missing Titanic tour days before now helping to find missing submersible
British explorer and billionaire businessman among five confirmed names missing on Titanic sub
Family of British billionaire stuck on Titanic sub release statement
Downing Street issues statement on the missing submersible
Search efforts to find missing Titanic sub have so far 'not yielded any results'
On Tuesday, Captain Jamie Frederick of the US Coast Guard told a press conference: “On Sunday, the coordination command centre in Boston received a report from the Canadian expedition vessel Polar Prince of an overdue 21-foot submarine, Titan, with five people on board.
“The Titan was attempting to dive on the wreck of the Titanic, approximately 900 miles east of Cape Cod and 400 miles south of St. John’s, Newfoundland.
“Approximately one hour and 45 minutes into the scheduled dive, the Polar Prince lost all communication with the Titan, Polar Prince conducted an initial search and then requested Coast Guard assistance, the US Coast Guard in Boston assumed the responsibility of search-and-rescue mission coordinator and immediately launched search assets.
“Since Sunday, the Coast Guard has coordinated search efforts with the US and Canadian Coast Guard, Air National Guard aircraft and the Polar Prince (the Titan’s mother ship), which has searched a combined 7,600 square miles, an area larger than the state of Connecticut.
“These search efforts have focused on both surface, with C-130 aircraft searching by sight and with radar, and subsurface, with P-3 aircraft we’re able to drop and monitor sonar buoys. To date, those search efforts have not yielded any results.”
Missing Titanic sub only has 41 hours of breathable air left
The five people inside a submersible that went missing during a dive to the wreck of the Titanic have roughly 40 hours of breathable air left, Captain Jamie Frederick of the US Coast Guard said in a press conference today.
Family of missing father-son duo release statement
The family of British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, who is on board with his 19-year-old son Suleman, have released a statement.
It reads: "Shahzada is a loving father to Suleman and Alina, husband to Christine, brother to three siblings, and son to Hussain & Kulsum Dawood. His 19-year-old son, Suleman Dawood, is currently a university student.
"Shahzada has been actively advocating a culture of learning, sustainability, and diversity in his capacity as Vice Chairman of Pakistan’s Engro Corporation. Passionate about social impact, he works extensively with the Engro Foundation, The Dawood Foundation, the SETI Institute, and Prince’s Trust International," the statement continues.
"Out of the office, he has spoken passionately at the United Nations in 2020 on International Day for Women & Girls in Science and Oxford Union in 2022.
"His interests include photography, especially wildlife photography, and exploring different natural habitats while Suleman is a big fan of science fiction literature and learning new things.
"Suleman also takes a keen interest in solving Rubik’s Cubes and enjoys playing volleyball."
Final photos of missing Titanic sub before it vanished on expedition
Family of British billionaire stuck on Titanic sub release statement
The family of British billionaire Hamish Harding has said they are 'very grateful' for the 'kind messages' over the disappearance off the coast of Canada of the submersible tourist vessel he's on.
The statement said: “Both the Harding family and the team at Action Aviation are very grateful for all the kind messages of concern and support from our friends and colleagues.
“We are thankful for the continued efforts of the authorities and companies that have stepped in to aid in the rescue efforts. We put great faith and trust in their expertise.
“Captain Hamish Harding, a licensed air transport pilot, a living legend of aviation inducted in 2022, a three Guinness World Records-holder, an explorer and an entrepreneur, is an extraordinarily accomplished individual who has successfully undertaken challenging expeditions, including but not limited to One More Orbit project (the record-breaking circumnavigation of the world), a flight to space with Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket as a commercial astronaut (NS-21 Mission) and the reintroduction of cheetahs from Namibia to India.
“He has travelled on a submersible to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench and has been to the South Pole a number of times.
“The team at Action Aviation are extremely proud of Hamish and we look forward to welcoming him home.
“The Harding family and Action Aviation politely request privacy at this time.”
The search for the missing submersible has been 'expanded' to deeper waters as rescuers race to locate the missing vessel which could have as little as 50 hours of air left on it.
Friend of UK billionaire missing on Titanic sub recalls final text he received from him
A friend of the missing British billionaire Hamish Harding has recalled the final text he received from him before his disappearance.
Harding had previously gone to Challenger Deep, the deepest point of the ocean, as well as being among those on a Blue Origin space mission.
Retired astronaut Colonel Terry Virts - a former colleague and friend - spoke to Harding a short while before the vessel went missing.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, he said: "We don't really talk about risks, it's known. He understood the risks for sure, there's no doubt about that.
"The last text I got was, 'Hey, we're headed out tomorrow, it looks good, the weather's been bad so they've been waiting for this.'"
"He went down to the deepest part of the ocean, set a few world records at the Mariana Trench and we talked quite a bit about the risks and the different things that they were going to be able to do. So he was very excited about it."
Search for missing Titanic sub 'expanding' into deeper waters
Rescuers searching for the missing submersible are now 'expanding' their search into deeper waters in the Atlantic Ocean.
The US Coast Guard and other search and rescue crews have swarmed an area in the Atlantic in an attempt to quickly find the vessel, as they race against the clock to locate the sub as its air supply dwindles.
Speaking to CNN, Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger said: "As we continue on with this search we've been working through the night with a broad group of partners to bring all capabilities to bear looking on both the surface and now expanding to a subsurface in the area."
It is believed there's around 50 hours of air left on the submersible.
As a result, officials are facing a race against the clock to find the five missing on board.
British explorer and billionaire businessman among five confirmed names missing on Titanic sub
A British explorer and a billionaire businessman are among the five people confirmed to be on board the Titanic sub.
Hamish Harding, Stockton Rush, Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman have all been confirmed to have been onboard the submersible that went underwater yesterday (19 June).
US Coast Guard officials said the submersible has enough oxygen to last three days at most.
Here's what we know about all five of those on board:
Hamish Harding
Hamish Harding, 58, was the first to be named - known in the UK as a businessman, aviator and space tourist.
While his roots stem from the UK, he is currently based in Dubai and also holds a number of Guinness World Records for his crazy challenges.
Prior to his Titanic voyage, the billionaire posted to social media: "A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow.”
It was Harding's stepson who confirmed he had gone missing.
Shahzada and Sulaiman Dawood
The father-son duo are believed to have been on the boat - with Shahzada, 48, seen as one of the richest men in Pakistan.
"We are very grateful for the concern being shown by our colleagues and friends and would like to request everyone to pray for their safety," a family statement read.
Paul-Henry Nargeolet
Paul-Henry Nargeolet, 73, is a longtime researcher of the Titanic wreck, and a veteran submarine pilot.
Nargeolet even led the first recovery expedition to the Titanic back in 1987 and has previously spoken of the dangers of sea travel.
"If you are 11m or 11km down, if something bad happens, the result is the same," he said.
"When you’re in very deep water, you’re dead before you realise that something is happening, so it’s just not a problem."
Stockton Rush
The fifth and final person missing is believed to be Stockton Rush - the CEO of OceanGate Inc.
He founded the firm back in 2009, in what is one of the very few companies in the world that runs commercial voyages down to the Titanic shipwreck.
Downing Street issues statement on the missing submersible
Downing Street said the government was ready to provide support and assistance, but was not aware of a request from the family of Hamish Harding for help.
“We are ready to provide assistance. At this stage I’m not aware they’ve specifically requested assistance from our capacity, which is based in Clyde in the naval base there.
“Clearly it is a complex rescue mission at significant depth,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said.
“We would wait to see what may or may not be required.
“We are in contact with the relevant authorities and are ready to provide assistance, but clearly it is an unusual rescue operation given the depths involved.”
No.10 said the Foreign Office is in contact with the family of Harding, as the rescue operation for the tourist submersible off the coast of Canada continues.
“The FCDO are in contact with Hamish Harding’s family and the local authorities.
“We stand ready to provide any additional assistance, including as our capacity as the host nation for Nato’s multinational submarine rescue capacity.”
A British billionaire is among five people aboard.
The spokesperson added: “The families involved will be deeply concerned and his thoughts are with them and the Foreign Office is providing support.”
He said that the prime minister 'clearly wants to pass on his thanks to those that are responding' to the situation.
Inside cramped submarine vessel that went missing on Titanic wreckage dive
Take a look at the conditions inside the extremely cramped submarine vessel that went missing on a Titanic wreckage dive.
A massive operation was launched on Sunday (18 June) after the missing submersible vanished about 435 miles (700km) south of Newfoundland, Canada.
The tiny craft operated by OceanGate Expeditions, named the Titan, carries five people on board with authorities now racing against time to locate them.
The craft lost contact with its surface crew on Sunday as it explored the underwater gravesite of the Titanic wreckage which lies around 12,500ft deep – 370 nautical miles.
Titan's inside space is just 22ft long and 9ft wide with a height of a little over 8ft.
The small space has capacity for five people, including a pilot and a ‘content expert’ as well as three paying customers.
CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush - which operates the vessel - is also on board the missing sub.
Rush showed prospective customers a tour of Titan last year - revealing the extremely claustrophobic conditions inside.
During the tour, he said: "We are inside the submersible, Titan, which is a carbon fibre and titanium sub that can go to the depths of the Titanic."
He then showed a small hole located in the base of the sub next to the craft's only window, explaining: "This is the only toilet available on the deep-diving submersible.
"Best seat in the house, you can look out the viewport, we put a privacy screen in, turn up the music and it’s very popular."
The CEO added: "We have our control screen, our sonar screen and we can put any image we want in the back."
Rush went on to outline how exactly the craft is controlled - namely with something likened to a 'game controller'.
Titan is driven by a Logitech game controller and touch screens, with Rush informing: "We’ve taken a completely new approach to the sub design and it’s all run with this game controller and these touch screens.
"It’s bluetooth so I can hand it to anybody and it’s meant for a 16-year-old to throw it around and super durable. We keep a couple of spares on board just in case."
Diver who pulled out of missing Titanic tour days before is now helping to find missing submersible
An experienced diver who was due to go on the missing submersible pulled out of the Titanic tour just days before and is now helping with rescue efforts.
Lawyer David Concannon has almost four decades of experience as a diver and has previously explored numerous shipwrecks as a 'New Jersey wreck diver'.
In a post on social media, Concannon explained that he had been due to go on the missing Titanic tourist submersible but pulled out because of a work-related emergency.
Concannon went on to say that he had since been asked to help with the rescue efforts and ‘immediately agreed’.
He explained: "Dear Friends, Re: Titanic. 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!”
The submersible, which disappeared on Sunday (18 June), is used to take tourists to view the wreck of the Titanic almost 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
It had five people on board when it went missing - among those confirmed onboard are British billionaire Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19.
OceanGate Expeditions, which owns the missing vessel, has released a statement to say: “Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families.”
At a press conference yesterday (19 June) Rear Admiral John Mauger said the vessel had been designed with a 96 hour ‘emergency capability’, which means it has oxygen reserves that will last 96 hours.
"We anticipate there is somewhere between 70 and the full 96 hours available at this point."
Frank Owen, a former submarine officer, warned the BBC that the challenge facing those on board is keeping their cool and not panicking and using up more oxygen.
He said that while there are supplies for up to 96 hours, if ‘they start panicking or moving around too much they could exceed those rates’.
Missing Brit warned Titanic tour submersible likely first and last of the year days before trip
British billionaire Hamish Harding warned that the tourist submersible that has now gone missing would likely be the only manned mission to the Titanic wreckage this year due to the worst winter in 40 years.
Harding is one of the five people on board a missing vessel, named the Titan, and operated by OceanGate Expeditions.
US and Canadian rescuers are trying to locate where the missing submersible is after it vanished on Sunday (18 June) some 435 miles (700km) south of Newfoundland, Canada.
The vessel lost contact with the research vessel Polar Prince an hour and 45 minutes into the dive, the US Coast Guard said. News of the missing vessel came to light on Monday (19 June).
On Saturday (17 June), Harding announced his participation in OceanGate Expeditions’ RMS Titanic Mission on Instagram.
He touched on the weather situation in Newfoundland and explained that a ‘weather window’ had opened up and the along with the rest of the crew, they planned to attempt a dive the next day.
“I am proud to finally announce that I joined @oceangateexped for their RMS TITANIC Mission as a mission specialist on the sub going down to the Titanic," Harding wrote.
“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.
“We started steaming from St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada yesterday and are planning to start dive operations around 4 a.m. tomorrow morning. Until then we have a lot of preparations and briefings to do."
Harding promised to share more updates as he praised the on board team for being ‘legendary explorers’.
He told his 18.3K followers: “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.”
The post is Harding’s last before the vessel went missing on Sunday morning local time.
Harding's stepson Brian Szasz said on Facebook: "Thoughts and prayers for my stepfather Hamish Harding as his Submarine has gone missing exploring Titanic. Search and rescue mission is underway."
OceanGate said in an Instagram statement on Monday that all options were being explored to rescue the five people onboard.
“Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families,” the firm said. “We are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to [re-establish] contact with the submersible.
“We are working toward the safe return of the crewmembers.”
Father and son confirmed to be onboard missing Titanic submarine
A father and son are onboard the submersible that went missing on a dive to find the wreck of the Titanic, their family have confirmed.
Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19, are on the missing vessel which was set to plunge into the Atlantic Ocean to find the remains of the Titanic.
The family of Shahzada Dawood said: "Our son Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman, had embarked on a journey to visit the remnants of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean.
"As of now, contact has been lost with their submersible craft and there is limited information available."
The statement continued: "We are very grateful for the concern being shown by our colleagues and friends and would like to request everyone to pray for their safety while granting the family privacy at this time.
"The family is well looked after and are praying to Allah for the safe return of their family members."
Tourists on missing Titanic sub had to sign waiver
The tourists on board the missing OceanGate submersible, which was travelling to the Titanic wreckage in the Atlantic Ocean, had to sign a waiver before the trip, according to a previous visitor.
Someone who's been on board the OceanGate submersible before is CBS journalist David Pogue, who recounted his own experience on board the sub after being invited aboard last year.
Speaking about the trip on CBS' Sunday Morning, he reported that among the paperwork shown to potential passengers was a waiver, which said: "This experimental vessel has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body, and could result in physical injury, emotional trauma, or death."
OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush gave him a tour of the submersible, where he revealed the vessel only has one button and is run using a video game controller.
Pogue also said there were 'some elements of MacGyver jerry-riggedness' with the submersible.
He recently told the BBC that the sub had seven different ways to get back to the surface and it was 'really concerning' that none of these appeared to have worked as of yet.
Pogue said he was initially hesitant going aboard the submersible because some of the components seemed 'off the shelf, sort of improvised'.
He added: "You steer this sub with an Xbox game controller, some of the ballast is abandoned construction pipes."
Pogue also said there was no way of escaping for the people inside without help as 'there's no backup, there's no escape pod' and that it was a matter of 'get to the surface or die'.
Missing Titanic submarine may run out of oxygen in 48 hours
The missing submersible that disappeared while travelling to the Titanic wreckage site may run out of oxygen in 48 hours, according to one expert.
Rescuers are trying to locate the OceanGate sub after it vanished in the Atlantic Ocean, 1,448km from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, at a depth of 4km.
David Concannon, an adviser to OceanGate - which organises deep sea tours to the Titanic ship - said the submersible had a maximum 96-hour oxygen supply, starting at roughly 6am on Sunday (18 June).
In an email to The Associated Press, Concannon said he was supposed to have been on the dive but could not go due to another client matter.
He added that officials were working to get a remotely operated vehicle that can reach a depth of 6km to the site as soon as possible.
British billionaire named as missing passenger
British billionaire, Hamish Harding, has been named as a passenger on the missing Titanic tourist submersible, according to his stepson.
Taking to Facebook, the businessman's stepson said: "Thoughts and prayers for my Mom and Hamish Harding.
"Hamish Harding my stepfather has gone missing on submarine thoughts and prayers."
On 17 June, 58-year-old Harding revealed on Instagram that he was 'proud' to be embarking on the mission.
"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 wrote.
"A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow. We started steaming from St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada yesterday and are planning to start dive operations around 4am tomorrow morning.
"Until then we have a lot of preparations and briefings to do.
"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."
Harding, who is the founder of the billion-dollar Action Group, served as director on the record-breaking mission to orbit the Earth via both poles in 2019.
The UAE-based Brit has helped break three Guinness World Records:
- 2019 - The fastest circumnavigation of the Earth via both poles
- 2021 - Greatest Distance Covered At Full Ocean Depth
- 2021 - Greatest Duration Spent At Full Ocean Depth
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