Explorer Victor Vescovo Remembers Friends Aboard Titan Submersible
St. Mark’s alumnus-turned-explorer Victor Vescovo, the first explorer to reach the top of the world’s continents and the bottom of its oceans, wrote about the loss of two of his friends on the Titan submersible.
The U.S. Coast Guard announced June 22 that the submersible suffered a “catastrophic implosion” near the wreckage of the Titanic, killing all five people on board – Stockton Rush, CEO of the Titan sub operator OceanGate, French maritime expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood, his son, Suleman Dawood, and British businessman and explorer Hamish Harding.
“This has been a difficult week for the submersible community. Deep ocean diving is very safe when industry standard certifications and procedures are followed,” Vescovo wrote. “I will miss my good friends PH Nargeolet, who I worked with closely, and Hamish Harding, my friend in sea and space.”
The Coast Guard’s search for the Titan began after the Canadian research vessel Polar Prince lost contact with the 21-foot submersible during a dive approximately 900 miles east of Cape Cod June 18. It was expected to resurface later that day.
A Navy official said “an acoustic anomaly consistent with an implosion” was detected shortly after the Titan lost contact with the surface. That information was relayed to the Coast Guard, per CBS News.
“We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost,” OceanGate said in a statement. “These men were true explorers who shared a spirit of adventure and a deep passion for exploring the world’s oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.”
