HAMISH HARDING was one of five people on board the Titan submersible who tragically lost their lives.
The British businessman was on the vessel when it suffered a "catastrophic" implosion during its descent to the Titanic wreckage.
Hamish Harding was a businessman, aviator, and space tourist from the UK.
He carved a successful career for himself in aviation after graduating from Cambridge with a degree in natural sciences and chemical engineering
Harding was based in the UAE, where he ran commercial and private aircraft company Action Aviation.
The 58-year-old held several Guinness World Records thanks to his various missions as an explorer and space tourist.
He was awarded a Living Legend of Aviation in 2022, joining Tom Cruise and fellow businessman Kenn Ricci, and took a trip to space in 2022 with Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin company.
Harding was a well-known polar explorer and took Moon-landing astronaut Buzz Aldrin to the South Pole in 2016, making Buzz, then 86, the oldest person to reach the pole.
Nasa astronaut Terry Virts spoke about his friend Harding on Good Morning Britain, describing him as the "quintessential British explorer" and saying he would "want him in his corner" during a crisis.
Harding was one of five people to be reported missing on June 19, 2023, after a submarine visiting the wreckage of the RMS Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean vanished.
Harding had excitedly posted to social media about going on the expedition the day before.
He also spoke to his friend about poor weather conditions just hours before the vessel vanished.
Virts, from Houston, revealed that Harding had text him hours before he went missing, confirming the mission was going ahead - despite fears over bad weather conditions.
He added said that the seasoned explorer "understood the risks" involved with the dive.
On June 18, 2023, the Titan sub was sent out by OceanGate Expeditions - a private company that charters trips to explore the Titanic wreckage.
In less than two hours contact with the vessel was lost and it failed to surface at the scheduled time of 3pm.
It was reported missing by the Coast Guard at around 5.40pm.
A desperate search and rescue mission was launched and a C-130 Hercules aircraft and crew, as well as a Canadian P8 aircraft with underwater sonar capability were involved.
Hopes had been raised when the Canadian aircraft reported hearing "underwater noises in the search area".
On the same day the Coast Guard set up a command to help coordinate multiple vessels conducting search operations and said 10,000 square miles had already been searched with more vessels on their way to help in the search.
But on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at 11.48am, the Coast Guard announced debris had been discovered by an ROV from the Horizon Arctic, found near the Titanic.
Rear Admiral John Mauger told a press conference in Boston: "This morning, an ROV, or remote operated vehicle from the vessel Horizon Arctic discovered the tail cone of the Titan submersible approximately 1,600ft (500m) 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."
It was confirmed the vessel's passengers Stockton Rush, Hamish Harding, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman had died.
According to Action Aviation, Hamish left behind his wife Linda.
The couple shared two sons, Rorry and Giles, and Hamish also had a stepdaughter named Lauren and a stepson named Brian.
Harding's family shared a heartbreaking tribute to the "dedicated father" who "lived his life for his family, his business and for the next adventure".
They said: "Today we are united in grief with the other families who have also lost their loved ones.
"Hamish Harding was a loving husband to his wife and a dedicated father to his two sons, whom he loved deeply.
"To his team in Action Aviation, he was a guide, an inspiration, a support, and a living legend.
"He was one of a kind and we adored him.
"He was a passionate explorer - whatever the terrain - who lived his life for his family, his business and for the next adventure."
They added: "What he achieved in his lifetime was truly remarkable and if we can take any small consolation from this tragedy, it's that we lost him doing what he loved.
"He will leave a gap in our lives that can never be filled. We know that Hamish would have been immensely proud to see how nations, experts, industry colleagues and friends came together for the search and we extend our heartfelt thanks for all their efforts.
"On behalf of the Harding family and Action Aviation, we would like to politely request privacy at this incredibly difficult time."
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