Billionaire Missing in RMS Titanic Expedition Posted to Social Media He Was ‘Proud’ To Join
The British billionaire who posted to social media that he would be on the OceanGate Expedition to the RMS Titanic Monday failed to post any updates following the launch amid fears the submersible can’t be located.
Fifty-eight-year-old Hamish Harding was one of five people in the submersible, including crew. Passengers, called “mission specialists,” paid $250,000 a piece for the chance to see the Titanic, which sunk during its maiden voyage in 1912.
Harding posted to Instagram two days ago that he would post more expedition updates, “IF the weather holds!”
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.
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 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.
More expedition updates to follow IF the weather holds!
View this post on Instagram
The craft was scheduled to leave St. John’s, Newfoundland, at 4 a.m. on Saturday, but lost communication with the mothership approximately an hour and 45 minutes into the 12,500-foot trip to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Fox’s Neil Cavuto spoke with marine archaeologist Steve Nagiewicz who said he believed the vessel had some 70 hours of oxygen left.
“If it’s floating on the surface it’s a much easier rescue. If they have to go down and try to find it and get it — there are assets all over the world that have the capability to raise this submarine up. I don’t know if the capability to mobilize all of them in the next three days is realistic. So that’s the clock.”
OceanGate published a media brief to its Instagram Monday:
- We are exploring and mobilizing all options to bring the crew back safely.
- Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submarine and their families.
- We are deeply thankful to for the extensive assistance we have reached from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to reestablish contact with the submersible.
- We are working toward the safe return of the crewmembers.
Harding considered himself an explorer and previously rode on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket to the edge of space.
Watch the clip above via Fox News.
