Tributes have been paid to the five people who are now believed to have been instantly killed in a “catastrophic implosion” of the Titan submersible during its dive to the Titanic.
On Thursday, after days of aerial and underwater searches, a robotic diving vehicle deployed from a Canadian ship discovered a debris field from the submersible Titan on the seabed 1,600ft (488 metres) from the bow of the Titanic.
Five major fragments of the 22ft (6.7-metre) Titan were located in the debris field left from its disintegration, including the vessel’s tail cone and two sections of the pressure hull, Coast Guard officials said. “The debris field here is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vehicle,” R Adm John Mauger of the US Coast Guard said.
The Titan, operated by the US-based company OceanGate Expeditions, had been missing since it lost contact with its surface support ship on Sunday morning about an hour and 45 minutes into what should have been a two-hour dive to the world’s most famous shipwreck.
The White House said the loved ones of the five men had endured a “harrowing ordeal” over the past week.
“Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives on the Titan,” it 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 thanked the US Coast Guard along with Canadian, British and French partners who helped in the search and rescue efforts.
OceanGate, the company that operated the Titan and whose CEO, Stockton Rush, is among the dead, hailed the sub’s passengers as “true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans”. It added: “We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.”
The family of the British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding remembered a “dedicated father” who was “a guide, an inspiration, a support and a living legend”, after the news of his death.
In a statement, the family of the 58-year-old explorer said: “He was one of a kind and we adored him. He was a passionate explorer – whatever the terrain – who lived his life for his family, his business and for the next adventure.
“What he achieved in his lifetime was truly remarkable and if we can take any small consolation from this tragedy, it’s that we lost him doing what he loved.”
Harding’s family said his death had left a “gap in our lives that can never be filled”, and that they were “united in grief” with the families of the others who had died.
“We know that Hamish would have been immensely proud to see how nations, experts, industry colleagues and friends came together for the search and we extend our heartfelt thanks for all their efforts.”
The UK foreign secretary, James Cleverly, described the update as “tragic news” and said the UK government was closely supporting the British families affected.
The family of the Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman, announced the deaths with “profound grief” and said they were “truly grateful” to all those involved in the rescue efforts. “Their untiring efforts were a source of strength for us,” said the statement from Hussain and Kulsum Dawood, the parents of Shahzada Dawood. “The immense love and support we receive continues to help us to endure this unimaginable loss.”
Details of their final rites would be announced soon, they said.
Strathclyde University in Glasgow, where Suleman was a first-year business school student, said in a statement: “We are shocked and profoundly saddened by the death of Suleman Dawood and his father in this tragic incident. The entire Strathclyde community offers our deepest condolences to the Dawood family and all those affected by this terrible accident.
“Our student wellbeing team remains on hand to offer appropriate support to Suleman’s classmates and the wider Strathclyde community at this difficult time.”
Condolences came from Pakistan’s foreign ministry, government officials and friends, with TV stations halting their routine broadcasts to share the news about Dawood, who was the vice-chair of the country’s largest conglomerate, Engro Corporation, and his son. Salman Sufi, an adviser to the prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, tweeted: “Very sad and unfortunate news. Prayers for the families of deceased. Mr Dawood and family are in our prayers.”
In a statement, Engro Corporation said: “With heavy hearts and great sadness we grieve the loss of our vice-chairman, Shahzada Dawood, and his beloved son, Suleman Dawood.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Dawood family at this tragic time. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, colleagues, friends and all those around the world who grieve this unthinkable loss.”
Ziauddin Yousafzai, the father of women’s rights activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, tweeted: “May the souls of Shahzada Dawood and Suleman Dawood rest in peace. Ameen. Our deepest sympathies go out to the entire Dawood family and their loved ones during this extremely tragic & trying time.”
Suleman was said by his aunt Azmeh Dawood to have felt “terrified” about the trip, according to NBC news, but opted to go because the trip took place over the UK Father’s Day weekend.
RMS Titanic, the company that owns the salvage rights to the Titanic shipwreck, mourned the loss of Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a longtime employee. “The maritime world has lost an iconic and inspirational leader in deep-sea exploration, and we have lost a dear and treasured friend,” the company said in a statement.
The former French navy officer was considered a Titanic expert after completing 37 dives to the wreck and supervising the recovery of 5,000 artefacts, according to his company profile.
Matthew Tulloch, a friend and former colleague, said Nargeolet had loved his work ever since they first 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 travelling around and sharing information and his experiences with people.”
Larry Daley, another friend, told the BBC: “It’s heart wrenching to hear the news. I mean, up till a few hours ago I was still hopeful.” Nargeolet “lost his life in a place he so loved – exploring the Titanic”, Daley said. “We always have to keep exploring – that’s what human nature is.”
Richard Garriott de Cayeux, the president of the Explorers Club, of which Harding was a trustee and Nargeolet was a member, said he was “heartbroken”. In a statement he said Harding “continued to push dragons off maps” and that both men were “drawn to explore… in the name of meaningful science”.
• This article was amended on 23 June 2023. An earlier version said that Hamish Harding was a co-founder of the Explorers Club instead of a trustee.
