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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Kieren Williams

Missing submarine passengers list - who is on board from dad and son to Brit billionaire

These are the five people onboard the missing Titanic tourist sub in a desperate fight for survival as rescuers face just 50 hours left to save them.

They include a billionaire explorer, a father and son duo and a French submarine pilot and ocean explorer CEO.

Billionaire Hamish Harding, father and son duo Shahzada Dawood, 48, and Sulaiman Dawood, 19, French submersible pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush all thought they were embarking on the adventure of a life time.

Taking an OceanGate submarine, they delved almost 4000 metres deep into the sea, to visit the lost wreckage.

The US Coast Guard said the there was one pilot and four "mission specialists" on board - each of whom paid $250,000 (£195,000).

But as they approached the wreck, the sub lost communications, as their trip seemingly took a turn for the worst.

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The Mirror broke the news that the billionaire British explorer was amongst the five people trapped underwater as the US Coast Guard continue their hunt for them.

The crew, reported lost yesterday, reportedly had an oxygen supply that could last 96 hours, taking them to around midday Thursday, UK time, before it runs out.

A missing OceanGate submarine was last heard from approaching the Titanic wreckage (OceneGate)

Hamish Harding

The British billionaire is no stranger to extreme adventures, as he’s been to the South Pole, twice, into space with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Rocket, to the deepest place on Earth at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

Last night, his stepson, Brian Szasz, wrote on Facebook : "Thoughts and prayers for my Mom and Hamish Harding."

He added: "Hamish Harding, my stepfather, has gone missing on submarine thoughts and prayers."

Shahzada Dawood (pictured) and his son Sulaiman Dawood were on board the small underwater craft when it went missing (Engro)

The 58-year-old dad-of-two is based in the United Arab Emirates, and Dubai, and founded Action Group, and is chairman of Action Aviation, an international aircraft company.

A holder of three world records, he has long splashed his cash on his passion for the extreme, being the fastest person to circumnavigate the Earth via both poles.

Oceangate CEO Stockton Rush (OceanGate)

Kathleen Cosnett, Mr Harding’s cousin, told The Telegraph she was “devastated” and “stunned” to learn that he was on the missing submersible and described him as a “daring” and “inquisitive… adventurist”.

At the weekend, Harding posted on social media that he was “proud to finally announce” he was going on board the 21ft submersible to the Titanic.

He also mentioned that there was the “worst weather in Newfoundland in 40 years” but a “window” had opened up, allowing their dive.

The remains of to the Titanic wreckage (OceanGate Expeditions)

Shahzada Dawood and Sulaiman Dawood

Reported as one of Pakistan’s richest men, Shahzada is a UK-based board member of the Prince’s Trust charity.

He has strong links to the UK and is thought to live in a mansion in Surrey with his wife Christinia, and two children.

Shahzada is the vice chairman of Engro Corporation, a company that produces fertilisers, food and energy, as well as Dawood Hercules Corporation, which makes chemicals.

(DAWOOD HERCULES CORPORATION/AFP)

After being born in Pakistan, he moved to the UK where he studied law at the University of Buckingham before completing a masters in Philadelphia.

The family of Shahzada Dawood said: "Our son Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman, had embarked on a journey to visit the remnants of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean.

Shahzada Dawood and wife Christine (FACEBOOK)

"As of now, contact has been lost with their submersible craft and there is limited information available."

The statement continued: "We are very grateful for the concern being shown by our colleagues and friends and would like to request everyone to pray for their safety while granting the family privacy at this time.

"The family is well looked after and are praying to Allah for the safe return of their family members."

Sulaiman is the 19-year-old son of Shahzada, but little is known about the teenager who was on the submarine.

Paul-Henry Nargeolet

Paul-Henry is the Director of Underwater Research Program at Premier Exhibitions, RMS Titanic, Inc.

The French mariner has made several trips down to the famous wreckage (AFP via Getty Images)

The French mariner had previously spoken frankly of the dangers of deep-sea expeditions.

Talking to the Irish Examiner, he said: “If you are 11m or 11km down, if something bad happens, the result is the same.

“When you’re in very deep water, you’re dead before you realise that something is happening, so it’s just not a problem.”

Fellow passenger Hamish, said Paul-Henry has completed several expeditions to the Titanic since the 1980s.

Paul-Henry Nargeolet, director of a deep ocean research project dedicated to the Titanic, was on board the ship (AFP via Getty Images)

Born in Chamonix, France, he is considered a "leading authority" on the Titanic and Fox News reported he spent two decades in the French Navy, rising to the rank of Commander before retiring in 1986.

Stockton Rush

Stockton founded OceanGate, the company behind the submarine deep dive, back in 2009.

At the age of 19, he became the youngest jet transport rated pilot in the world, and flew all over the world for three years before he became a test pilot in 1984.

The wreckage sits almost 4,000 metres deep on the bottom of the sea (mirror.co.uk)

But his dreams of becoming a pilot were scuppered by poor eyesight, The Telegraph reported.

In an interview last year, Stockton acknowledged the risks that came with such deep dives , but said ultimately it could be done safely.

OceanGate has been conducting manned submarine dives to the Titanic wreckage for a number of years (mirror.co.uk)

As a boy, Stockton said he dreamed of going to space, in an interview with alumni magazine Princeton University, where he studied mechanical and aerospace engineering.

He said: "I was interested in exploration. I thought it was space exploration. I thought it was Star Trek and 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Wars… and then I realised, it’s all in the ocean."

Stockton Rush, OceanGates chief executive, spoke at a press conference said during a press conference next to one of his submarines (Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Aged 14 he learned how to scuba dive but told The Independent he wanted to explore the oceans whilst warm and dry.

He told the outlet: “I wanted to sit in a submarine and watch crabs fighting to the sound of Mozart for two hours."

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