Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and His son Suleman, as well as British explorer Hamish Harding, are traveling on a tourist submarine that disappeared Sunday in the Atlantic Ocean while submerged to see the wreck of the Titanic, British media reported Tuesday.
French explorer Paul-Henry Nargeolet and CEO of OceanGate – which operates the submarine – Stockton Rush are also traveling, the media added.
The US and Canadian Coast Guard continue their search against time to locate the submarine – the OceanGate operator – with five people on board and 96 hours of autonomy.
Dawood lives with his family in the United Kingdom and sponsors the SETI Institute, whose mission is to explore and understand the origins of the universe, while Harding is the chairman of Action Aviation and is known for having traveled to space.
Harding commented on social media over the weekend that the ship that took him to the ocean where the Titanic sank sailed from St John’s in Newfoundland, Canada.
Once on the scene, Harding said he didThe submarine’s crew would attempt to dive after the weather improvedafter the area had one of the worst winters in forty years.
On his Facebook profile, Harding wrote two days ago that “legendary explorers” were on the team traveling in the submarine, including “PH Nargeolet. More expedition updates IF the weather holds!”
Communication with the vessel was lost 45 minutes after the start of the dive.
Teams from the United States and Canada are participating in the rescue operation using some of their most advanced aircraft.
Specifically, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft from the United States and a Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircraft from Canada, capable of detecting underwater objects, joined the operation, the Coast Guard said.
The missing submarine belongs to the organizing company OceanGate Expeditions expeditions with submarines in the deep seas, the company itself confirmed in a press release.
On its website, the company offers eight-day, seven-night trips to visit the remains of the Titanic, with an estimated price of $250,000.
In its statement, OceanGate Expeditions said it was evaluating “all available options” to return the crew. “Our full attention is focused on the submarine’s crew members and their families,” the company said.
The company also expressed its gratitude for “extensive help” dreceived from governments and companies to re-establish contact with the submarine.
Source: Panama America
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
