The company OceanGate Expeditions revealed the identity of the five individuals who were on board the submarine “Titan”who disappeared into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean while on her way to explore the wreckage of the Titanic.
Among the passengers were Shahzada Dawood 48, a prominent businessman, and his 19-year-old son Suleman. Both belong to a well-known family in Pakistan. Sources close to them have confirmed their presence on board the “Titan” submarine.
“We are very grateful for the concern shown by our colleagues and friends and would like to ask everyone to pray for his safety,” the Dawoods said in a statement.
Who is Shahzada Dawood, the billionaire who disappeared with his son in the submarine
What is Shahzada Dawood’s fortune due to?
The family is among the wealthiest in Pakistan but has strong ties to the UK and Shahzada is believed to live in a Surrey mansion with Christine, who works as a life coach, Sulaiman and their daughter Alina.
Dawood’s company has investments in various sectors in Pakistan such as agriculture, industry and health. In addition, the Pakistani businessman sits on the board of directors of the SETI Institute, a California-based project dedicated to the search for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence.
Who is Shahzada Dawood, the billionaire who disappeared with his son in the submarine.
In addition, Dawood is a member of the board of directors of the UK-based charity Prince’s Trust. His family has close ties to that country. Shahzada’s father, Hussain, 79, is president of Dawood Hercules Corporation, a company that manufactures chemicals, as well as Engro Corporation, which specializes in fertilizers, food and energy.
Race against time: the crew of the submarine have less than 24 hours of oxygen left
A desperate and time trial search is taking place at this time in the North Atlantic, United States, to find the lost submarine with five people on board who, according to expert estimates, He has barely 18 hours of oxygen left.
OceanGate’s submarine can accommodate a pilot, four other passengers and an oxygen supply capable of lasting 96 hours, which means there are less than 72 hours left. for a mission that rescuers see as complicated.
Estimated aboard the vessel is Paul-Henry Nargeolet, 73, who is the Director of the Underwater Research Program at Premier Exhibitions, RMS Titanic, Inc.
Race against time: the crew of the submarine have less than 72 hours of oxygen left
Nargeolet had previously referred to the extreme dangers of deep-sea exploration in an interview. “If you are 11 meters or 11 kilometers down, if something bad happens, the result is the same. When you are in very deep water, you are dead before you realize that something is happening, so it is simply not a problem, ”he had said, as recorded. The Sun.
It is believed that the ship, which is taking tourists to explore the wreckage of the Titanic, may have become trapped in the wreckage. This is how the rear admiral held it John Mauger, He’s helping coordinate the search.
“We immediately started mobilizing assets to search both on the surface of the water, search from the air and also to detect any vessels underwater. We have had an exhaustive search to find these people,” he said.
A “difficult” mission and “highly unlikely” to achieve, experts say.
“A frantic marine search is underway for a missing tourist submersible that has not been seen since it was launched to carry five people to the wreck of the Titanic,” he said, adding that the rescue mission is “very complicated”, given how far out to sea the sub is.
Various salvage efforts are currently underway, with teams from Boston, Newfoundland and other available Coast Guard ships doing their best to locate the submersible.
A “difficult” mission and “highly unlikely” to achieve, experts say
Naval experts say the wreckage is in such a position that it will be a “difficult” recovery mission. “It’s very worrying. It could have become entangled in the wreckage of the Titanic, we don’t know yet. The wreck site is a long way from anywhere,” said former US Rear Admiral Chris Parry.
This is “Titan”, the tourist submarine that charges US$ 250,000 to travel to the wreck of the Titanic
“Having heard the timescale, it is very worrying.”added Parry.
“There is an optimistic option, and that is that it lost umbilical communication with the surface or, in fact, there was a malfunction and the submarine continues to operate, but obviously without contact with its mother ship,” he stated as one of the less serious scenarios.
A Royal Navy source said they were monitoring the situation but prospects for a rescue were difficult because of the depth of the wreck. “Opportunities and capabilities in that depth of water are few and far between”said.
Adding to these negative forecasts was the former captain of a Navy salvage and rescue ship, Sean P. Tortora, who told The Mirror: “I can say that any rescue at depth would be highly unlikely.”
JCCL.