Who were the five passengers on board the Titan submarine which imploded?

On the anniversary of the tragedy, we reflect on the search and rescue teams scoured the Atlantic for several days with hopes of finding the Titan submersible intact and its crew alive. However, on 22 June 2023 the US Coast Guard announced that a debris field had been found not far from the doomed vessels destination.

The five people aboard had been en route to visit the remains of the Titanic some 12,500 feet below the surface. The experimental submersible succumbed to the immense pressure of the depths with the hull failing causing a “catastrophic implosion” killing all aboard instantly. These are the people who were on the ill-fated Titan.

Who was aboard the Titan submarine?

Shahzada and Suleman Dawood

Two of the people on board the missing submarine are tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman. Aged 48, Shahzada is a trustee of the SETI Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to research on life and intelligence in the universe. It should also be noted that it works with other institutions such as Prince’s Trust International and The British Asian Trust. With studies in Textile Marketing and Law, he is in the vessel with his son Suleman who is just 19 years old.

Originally from Pakistan, the Dawood family currently resides in Surbinton, south-east London. In addition to all of the above, the businessman is vice president of an investment company, which bears the name of Dawood Hercules Corporation. The company manufactures chemical products.

Stockton Rush

Another of the people on board the Titan is the CEO of the company that has organised the experience, OceanGate. The name of said manager is Stockton Rush. He is the founder of the company, which was created 13 years ago, and is its executive director.

Rush was the youngest qualified jet transport pilot on the planet when he achieved the rank of captain at the age of 19. In 1989, he manufactured an experimental plane and a submersible for two people, making more than 30 dives.

Paul–Henri Nargeolet

Another passenger is Paul-Henri Nargeolet. He was born in Chamonix, France 73 years ago. For 20 years he was in the French Navy, until his retirement, a period in which he received the rank of commander.

Afterwards he joined the French Institute for Research and Exploitation of the Sea, devoting himself to exploring the Titanic. In fact, in 1987, he was one of those who led an expedition with the aim of recovering objects from one of the best-known shipwrecks of all time. He has made more than a dozen dives and has been able to oversee the recovery of numerous objects from said ship.

It is also worth mentioning his presence in one of the best-known documentaries about the White Star Line ship. Nargeolet appeared in ‘Titanic, in the heart of the shipwreck’. There, he shared the screen with the director of the 1997 film, one of the most successful of all time, James Cameron.

Hamish Harding

Another of the people who was inside the submarine is that of Hamish Harding. Born in 1964, he is president of Action Aviation, a company specialising in the purchase and sale of aircraft. He is also an explorer, with which he has been able to break several records and has been involved in others, especially in the South Pole.

In 2021, together with Victor Vescovo, he managed to break several records worldwide for the longest time spent at full depth and a greater length in depth within the ocean. It is not only limited to the sea, but has also been one of the participants in the Blue Origin project, led by Jeff Bezos. He was in the New Shepard rocket, being one of the six chosen to fly to the edge of space.