Youngest person ever to visit Titanic lost consciousness on ‘dangerous’ expedition

The youngest person to ever visit the remains of the Titanic has revealed that he lost consciousness during his trip to the wreckage.

Sebastian Harris was just 13 when he and his Titanic expedition leader dad G. Michael Harris set off to explore the wreckage in 2005.

The teen, his dad and a pilot travelled 12,850-foot below the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean in a Russian Mir II submersible.

Harris’ expedition took around 12 hours - half of which was spent exploring the wreckage of the Titanic. And it earned him a spot in the Guinness World Records, which stands to this day.

Now an adult, Harris has spoken about his experience following the tragic death of five people who were onboard the OceanGate Titan sub when it imploded.

Associated Press / Alamy Stock Photo

During an interview with The Sun, he said: "During our dive, we had a small safety issue. Suddenly our oxygen levels started to drop and I fell unconscious while we were diving down.

"Fortunately my father and our pilot did not experience the same issue, otherwise it may have been fatal, and thankfully we had oxygen meters inside of the sub that were showing lower oxygen levels than normal.

"So we cranked it up and then I was back in the game.

"But these sorts of small issues can and do happen with regularity, so the certification and safety of these vehicles is so important.

American Photo Archive / Alamy Stock Photo

"These activities are inherently dangerous. A 13-year-old doesn't really have a sense of their own morality, so I was blissfully ignorant to a degree, but in different circumstances that could've ended in tragedy."

He went on to say that he hopes the tragedy will prompt a change in regulations around deep-sea tourism.

“There's no blame to be had on the four individuals [who were on board the Titan] in any way, shape, or form, but I think if one good thing comes from all this, it's just like the sinking of the Titanic was super impactful on maritime safety regulations, that something similar happens here too."

Family handout

The Titan sub vanished shortly after it set off to go and explore the Titanic on 18 June 18.

On board was OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush as well as Hamish Harding, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood.

Debris from the submersible was found near the wreckage of the Titanic, which was consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel’, the US Coast Guard said on Thursday (22 June).