Teen and dad vacationing in Canada among those on missing Titanic sub
A family vacation has turned into a nightmare for a father and son duo who are part of the group of five people onboard the submersible that went missing on Sunday. NBC News reports that as of Tuesday, June 20, at 1 pm ET, the vessel only had 41 hours of oxygen left.
According to the BBC, British businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his family were on holiday in Canada for a month before he and his son Suleman, 19, boarded the submersible.
Their identities were confirmed on June 20 in a statement issued by The Dawood Foundation.
Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his teenage son are among the missing (Action Aviation | Dawood Foundation)
“On Sunday, June 18, Mr. Shahzada Dawood, Trustee of the Dawood Foundation, along with his son Suleman, embarked on a journey to visit the remnants of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean,” reads the statement posted on Twitter. “All that we know so far is that contact was lost with their submersible craft.”
The Dawoods are part of one of Pakistan’s wealthiest families — Shahzada is vice chairman of the conglomerate Engro Corporation, a fertilizer company in Pakistan.
According to his online profile, Shahzada studied at Philadelphia University and Buckingham University. He lives in London with his wife, Christine, and two children.
British adventurer and billionaire Hamish Harding, 58, is reportedly also part of the expedition. Harding is the chairman of Action Aviation, a Dubai-based jet dealership. Hamish holds three Guinness World Records.
“Action Aviation herewith confirms that our esteemed Chairman, Hamish Harding, is currently on board the Titan Submersible at the Titanic site,” reads a statement on the company’s website. “Both the Harding family and the team at Action Aviation are very grateful for all the kind messages of concern and support from our friends and colleagues.”
Stockton Rush and Paul-Henry Nargeolet (OceanGate | LinkedIn)
Crewmembers include Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate, the company that owns and operates the missing vessel. Rush is an engineer who founded the company in 2009. The company is based in Everett, Washington and offers expeditions to the Titanic’s wreckage for $250,000 per person.
Onboard with Rush is former French Navy diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet, 77. According to Nargeolet’s LinkedIn profile, he’s the director of the underwater research program at Premier Exhibitions, RMS Titanic, Inc., a company that owns the rights to the Titanic’s wreckage.
Search and rescue operations will also be moving to St. John’s in Newfoundland, according to authorities.