A Scottish student and four others on board the missing Titan vessel are tragically believed to be dead, the expedition company has said.
OceanGate Expeditions said on Thursday its pilot and chief executive Stockton Rush, along with UK citizens Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet “have sadly been lost.”
Suleman Dawood, 19, was a Strathclyde business student and was among the five onboard along with his father Shahzada, 48, British billionaire Hamish Harding, "Titanic's greatest explorer" Paul-Henri Nargeolet and CEO of OceanGate Stockton Rush.
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The tail cone of the missing Titan submersible has been found close to the wreck of the Titanic, Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard said, adding the debris discovered was “consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber”.
Rear Admiral John Mauger said that he offered his “deepest condolences” to the families of the five people on board Titan, adding that he hoped the discovery of debris from the craft offered them “some solace during this difficult time.”
The OceanGate statement added: “This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss.
“The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organisations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission.
“We appreciate their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families.
“This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea.
“We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time.”
Rear Admiral John Mauger told a press conference in Boston on Thursday: “This morning, an ROV, or remote operated vehicle from the vessel Horizon Arctic discovered the tail cone of the Titan submersible approximately 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic on the sea floor.
“The ROV subsequently found additional debris. In consultation with experts from within the unified command, the debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber.
“Upon this determination, we immediately notified the families.
“On behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families. I can only imagine what this has been like for them.
“And I hope that this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time.”
