British billionaire dubbed a 'true explorer' on a quest 'for the betterment of mankind' after dying in Titanic sub wreck

The search for the Titanic submersible search is now over with the US Coast Guard and the tourism company behind failed Titanic voyage concluding all five souls died on board.

After debris was found at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean from the vanished submarine, families were notified and those on board were declared dead.

The five included OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, British adventurer and billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, and French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet.

In the wake of the Titanic submarine tragedy, President of the Explorers Club Richard Garriott hailed those who died on board as heroes.

Instagram/Hamish Harding

At the start of his letter, he speaks of Harding, who he describes as a ‘dear friend’ and Nargeolet, ‘one of the foremost experts’ of the Titanic.

“Hamish Harding is a dear friend to me personally and to The Explorers Club. He holds several world records and has continued to push dragons off maps both in person and through supporting expeditions and worthy causes,” he wrote.

“Paul-Henri was elected to the Club in 2001 and was one of the foremost experts on submersible expeditions to the Titanic.

“They were both drawn to explore, like so many of us, and did so in the name of meaningful science for the betterment of mankind.”

Garriott proceeded to say that while he didn’t know the Dawood family personally, he knows their desire to explore ‘would have led them to our doorstep’, and he would’ve welcomed them with open arms.

“Their memories will be a blessing and will continue to inspire us in the name of science and exploration,” his letter concluded.

Garriott added he was ‘heartbroken’ over the deaths of some of the most intrepid adventurers on the planet.

Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron, who directed the 1997 movie on the famed ship that hit an iceberg in 1912, also shared some kind words about the late Nargeolet.

He told ABC News that he had met the Titanic expert while conducting research for his film.

“The legendary submersible dive pilot, he is a friend of mine. It is a very small community. I’ve known him for 25 years,” he told the outlet.

“For him to have died tragically in this way is almost impossible for me to process.”

Rear Admiral John Mauger, of the US Coast Guard, said in a press conference last night (June 22) that the tail cone of the Titan had been located close to the wreck of the Titanic and that the debris discovered was 'consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber'.

OceanGate's Titan submarine was reported missing on June 18 and those on board were presumed dead on June 22.

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