Billionaire Hamish Harding has utilized his wealth to embark on unprecedented global explorations, braving both outer space and the depths of the ocean. These extraordinary exploits have garnered him three Guinness World Records. However, Harding’s latest adventure has taken an unexpected turn. Along with four other individuals, he is currently missing after their tourist submersible, the Titan, lost contact while visiting the Titanic shipwreck. Prior to this, Harding was part of a short flight with Blue Origin, a company backed by Jeff Bezos, which reached an altitude of 66.5 miles above Earth. The cost of a seat on this rocket can range from zero to millions of dollars. In fact, the first seat was auctioned off for a staggering $28 million.
Harding, aged 58, is an avid adventurer who has amassed his wealth through piloting aircraft and founding Action Aviation, a UAE-based company specializing in aircraft trade. Furthermore, he holds four Guinness World Records, one of which is for spending the longest time navigating the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on Earth. This remarkable achievement was accomplished in collaboration with American investor Victor Vescovo. Additionally, Harding joined a Blue Origin spaceflight in 2022 and holds three Guinness World Records for his exploratory ventures. Notably, he made record-breaking trips to the South Pole as well.
During an expedition lasting four hours and 15 minutes, Harding and Vescovo covered nearly three miles at the “full ocean depth” of 35,860 feet. Another record accredited to Harding is the fastest circumnavigation of the Earth, accomplished in 2019 while crossing both the North and South Poles in a flight lasting 46 hours, 40 minutes, and 22 seconds. This remarkable feat, known as the One More Orbit, marked the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
Apart from his extraordinary adventures, Harding is also actively involved in the board of trustees for The Explorers Club, a globally recognized association that brings together explorers and scientists. In recognition of his accomplishments, he was honored with a European Living Legends of Aviation Award, joining illustrious individuals such as Kenn Ricci, Jeff Bezos, and Tom Cruise.
With regards to his latest endeavor, Harding joined OceanGate Expeditions’ five-person tourism group for a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck by means of the Titan submersible. Unfortunately, contact with the submersible was lost during their visit to the wreck, leaving them with only a limited supply of oxygen. Despite this trying situation, the US Coast Guard is diligently coordinating with Canada to locate and rescue the missing individuals.
The Titan, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, is designed to accommodate up to five individuals. Since 2019, the company has offered tourists the opportunity to explore the wreckage of the Titanic, located over two miles beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Canada. These daring adventures come at a price of $250,000 per ticket. Due to adverse weather conditions, their current mission may be the only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023. Sadly, the submersible’s reliance on Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites for communication has hindered rescue efforts as contact was abruptly lost with the support ship.
The missing passengers of the Titan include not only Hamish Harding, but also Shahzada Dawood, a prominent figure among Pakistan’s wealthiest individuals, as well as his son Sulaiman Dawood. Additionally, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, an experienced diver and Titanic researcher, is on board. The situation remains critical as the individuals on board have limited oxygen reserves, estimated to last for approximately four days. Every effort is being made to ensure a successful rescue operation for these intrepid explorers.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
