French mariner Paul-Henry Nargeolet, renowned as one of the foremost experts on the Titanic, is feared to be among the five individuals who have gone missing during a tourist submersible expedition to the wreckage. The news of Nargeolet’s potential involvement was revealed in a Facebook post by fellow traveler and UK billionaire aviator, Hamish Harding, just a day before the ill-fated mission. Nargeolet, hailing from Chamonix, France, is widely regarded as a “leading authority” on the Titanic and holds the position of Director of Underwater Research for E/M Group and RMS Titanic, Inc.
According to information available, Nargeolet has led numerous expeditions to the Titanic, undertaken several dives in the submersible himself, and oversaw the recovery of numerous artifacts, including a massive 20-ton section of the ship’s hull. Prior to his involvement in Titanic research, Nargeolet spent over 20 years in the French Navy, achieving the rank of Commander. In 1986, he retired and joined the French Institute for Research and Exploitation of Sea, where he led deep submersible missions. It was in this capacity that he spearheaded the inaugural recovery expedition to the Titanic in 1987.
The Irish Examiner reports that Nargeolet has spent more time at the Titanic wreckage than any other individual. In a chilling statement to the outlet in 2019, Nargeolet shared, “If you are 11 meters or 11 kilometers down, if something bad happens, the result is the same.” He further added, “When you’re in very deep water, you’re dead before you realize that something is happening, so it’s just not a problem.”
The OceanGate Expeditions-operated submersible, carrying five individuals tasked with documenting the Titanic wreckage, was reported overdue on Sunday night, approximately 435 miles south of St. John’s, Newfoundland. A rescue operation is currently underway in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, with assistance from the Canadian Coast Guard vessel and military aircraft, led by the U.S. Coast Guard in Boston.
The craft submerged on Sunday morning, and contact with its support vessel was lost about an hour and 45 minutes later. Concerns are mounting as the submersible only had a 96-hour oxygen supply starting from 6 a.m. Sunday.
This expedition marked OceanGate’s third annual voyage to document the deterioration of the Titanic, which met its tragic fate in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg. Since its discovery in 1985, the wreckage has been slowly deteriorating due to metal-eating bacteria, leading to predictions that the ship may vanish within a few decades as the hull develops holes and sections disintegrate.
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