Billionaire Hamish Harding on board missing Titanic submarine

There are grave fears for the crew on board the tourist submersible named Titan contact was lost with the vessel about 1 hour and 45 minutes into its descent on Sunday morning (local time).

Other passengers identified to be on-board include French submersible pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet and chief executive and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush.

In an eerie post on social media on Monday, Harding admitted it was the “worst winter in 40 years”.

“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.

“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.”

Chief Mi’sel Joe of Miawpukek First Nation co-owns the Polar Prince, the ship used to transport the submersible to the site of the Titanic wreckage. He was alerted on Sunday afternoon that the submersible was two hours overdue and had not surfaced, CNN reports.

“There’s a tremendous amount of concern,” Chief Mi’sel Joe said. “I have anguish that people are going through this. I wish there was more I can do.”

An urgent search-and-rescue operation is under way, the US Coast Guard said on Monday.

In a statement quoted by CBS News and other media outlets, OceanGate Expeditions said: “Our entire focus is on the crew members in the submersible and their families.”

Harding, who is billed as a “businessman, aviator, explorer, and space tourist” had on Sunday posted on his Instagram account that he was “proud to finally announce” he had joined the OceanGate Expedition “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,” the 58-year-old UAE-based businessman said.

“A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow.”

The submersible is used to explore the wreckage of the Titanic, which is located about 3.8 km beneath the ocean’s surface off the coast of Canada — at a cost of $365,000 ($US250,000) per ticket.

Fears grow for Titan passengers

Naval experts say assisting the passengers of the Titan will be a “difficult” mission.

“It’s very worrying. It could have become entangled in the wreckage of Titanic, we don’t know yet. The wreck site is a long way from anywhere,” former Rear Admiral Chris Parry said on Sky News.

“The only hope one has is that the mothership will have a standby craft that can investigate immediately what is going on.”

The submersible has enough air supplies to last about four days.

OceanGate was not immediately reachable for comment.

In the statement it added that it was “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.”

The Canadian Coast Guard said it is taking part in the search effort with a fixed wing plane and a ship sent to the search area.

The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in 1912 during its maiden voyage from England to New York with 2224 passengers and crew on board.

More than 1500 people died in the tragedy.

The wreckage is in two main pieces 640km off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, under 3800 meters of water. It was found in 1985 and remains a source of fascination and a lure for nautical experts and underwater tourists.

– with AFP