Here’s what we know about the people onboard the submersible, which last pinged in a location close to the Titanic wreck.
Hamish Harding, one of the five people aboard a submersible missing near the Titanic wreck, is no stranger to exploration.
Harding circumnavigated the Earth in 2019. He made a dive in 2021 to the deepest point on earth, Challenger Deep, in the Mariana Trench. And he traveled into space last year aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard.
The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday launched an urgent search for the OceanGate Inc. tourist submersible carrying Harding and four other passengers.
„Our entire focus is on the wellbeing of the crew and every step possible is being taken to bring the five crew members back safely,“ OceanGate said as part of an emailed statement.
The submersible, which last pinged in a location close to the Titanic wreck, was designed with life support to sustain five crew members for 96 hours.
Here’s what we know about the people onboard.
Harding, a British businessman and chairman of Action Aviation, previewed his dive to see the Titanic shipwreck in a Facebook post.
„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 posted on Sunday. „A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow.“
Harding, a licensed air transport pilot who holds three Guinness World Records, is an „an extraordinarily accomplished individual who has successfully undertaken challenging expeditions,“ Action Aviation said in a statement.
