The stepson of a Brit billionaire on board the missing Titanic submersive vessel has said he 'hasn't slept in days' after hitting back at online trolls.
Billionaire businessman Hamish Harding is among the five people who embarked on the OceanGate vessel on its undersea mission down to the historic shipwreck, before contact was lost on Sunday afternoon.
Rescue crews have embarked on a frantic attempt to find the craft in the hours and days since, with emergency oxygen supplies expected to run out at around midday today.
His stepson Brian Szasz reportedly deleted his social media this morning after launching a fierce defence over posts he made amid heightened media attention.
Brian had earlier shared a message offering his “thoughts and prayers” that the 58-year-old chairman of private plane firm Action Aviation could be found - but minutes after posting the message, he also revealed that he was at a concert to see his favourite band Blink-182.
Along with a photo of himself at the venue he admitted it could look “distasteful” but his family would want him to be there.
Later, he appeared to flirt with an OnlyFans model online as the search for the vessel continued.
Before he appeared to delete his social media accounts on Thursday morning, Brian described the situation as a "nightmare" in an emotional Instagram story.
He said: "Everything about it, especially what Hamish is going through down there is just f**king god awful,
"'I haven't slept in days, [but] it's not about me", he said, highlighting the effects the disappearance had on his mum.
But he denied accusations that he was "rocking out" and said the criticism over his social media posts was making his situation "worse". He also said he was friends with the adult model, named Brea, and sent her messages "every day".
His stepfather Hamish has visited the South Pole multiple times, and flew into space last year on Jeff Bezos’s fifth human spaceflight. He he has also set three World Records.
The 58-year-old went on the expedition with Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman, with other passengers including Frenchman Paul-Henri Nargeolet and chief executive and founder of OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush.
Breathable air is expected to run out on OceanGate's 'Titan' around midday UK time on Thursday, giving an added urgency to ongoing efforts to save the five men.
