Words of remembrance, tribute for five lives lost
Messages of sympathy and tribute followed news that the five members of the Titan submersible died after a catastrophic failure of their deep-sea craft during a dive to see the wreck of the Titanic in the North Atlantic.
“The maritime world has lost an iconic and inspirational leader in deep-sea exploration, and we have lost a dear and treasured friend,” RMS Titanic Inc., the company that owns the salvage rights to the Titanic shipwreck, said of Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
Nargeolet — known as “PH” — was a Titanic expert and longterm employee of the company.
He was expedition leader on the most technologically advanced dive to the Titanic in 2010, which used high-resolutionsonar and 3D optical imaging on the Titanic’s bow and stern sections as well as the debris field.
Friend and former colleague Matthew Tulloch said Nargeolet loved his work from the time they collaborated in the 1990s.
“I never got the impression that he was looking forward to retirement,” Tulloch said with a small laugh. “You sort of think of people as they retire, then they can go on and do things that they love to do. This was exactly that for him — I can’t think of anything that I’m aware of that he would enjoy doing more than traveling around and sharing information and his experiences with people.”
The White House offered its condolences to the families of the crew.
“Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives on the Titan,” the White House said in a statement. “They have been through a harrowing ordeal over the past few days, and we are keeping them in our thoughts and prayers.”
The statement also thanked the searchers, including the Coast Guard, involved in the international effort to find the submersible.
“This has been a testament to the skill and professionalism that the men and women who serve our nation continue to demonstrate every single day,” the statement said.
Also on board the Titan were Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman. The two were members of one of Pakistan’s most prominent families and their firm, Dawood Hercules Corp., based in Karachi, is involved in agriculture, petrochemicals, and telecommunication infrastructure.
“Our deepest condolences to the Dawood family and the family of other passengers on the sad news about the fate of Titanic submersible in the North Atlantic,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry wrote on Twitter. “We appreciate the multinational efforts over the last several days in search of the vessel.”
The vessel was helmed by Stockton Rush, the CEO and founder of OceanGate, which offered the excursion. His wife, Wendy, is the great-great-granddaughter of Titanic victims Isidor and Ida Straus, The New York Times reported. Isidor Straus had co-owned Macy’s department store.
Also on board was noted British adventurer Hamish Harding.
“These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans,” OceanGate said in a statement. “We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.”