A scientist who was trapped in a Russian submersible during a trip to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean over 20 years discussed the terrifying experience on Good Morning Britain earlier today.
Dr Michael Guillen feared he would die when he became the first TV correspondent in history to report from the wreck of the Titanic in 2000, after his vessel became trapped on the Titanic's propeller and caught in a strong underwater current.
"I remember thinking 'this is how it's going to end for you'," Dr Guillen recalled to hosts Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley.
Speaking as the news broke that rescuers hunting the missing Titanic submersible detected "banging" noises coming from the area where the divers vanished, Dr Guillen expressed his concern for the five people onboard tourist vessel - named Titan - that went missing whilst heading on an expedition to the Titanic wreck site on Sunday morning.
British billionaire Hamish Harding, British-based Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19; CEO of OceanGate Expeditions - the company which owns and operates the vessel - Stockton Rush and French submersible pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet were all aboard the 22ft long single windowed sub.
"It's very emotional - I feel a special kindred spirit with those poor souls who are down there," Dr Guillen confessed on ITV this morning.
"I feel so close to them, almost to the point where I feel like I'm down there again."
He continued to explain how communication occurs when submerged miles under water, suggesting the trapped crew could be using cups to bang on the side of the sub.
Things then turned emotional as the Emmy-winning TV reporter recalled how he feared for his life after his Mir 1 submersible got wedged beneath the stern wreck and the 21-tonne propellers back in 2000.
"'This is how it's going to end for you' I thought to myself," Dr Guillen told Susanna and Richard via video link.
"What flashed through my mind - I'll never forget - was 'I'm going to join all the souls who lost their lives down here. My body is going to remain down here for eternity'."
"I had a sense of peace, I can't explain," he continued before explaining how "the sub then went quiet and there was a sense of floating".
"We hadn't spoke to our pilot very much, we didn't want to distract him as he was our only hope, but because of the float sensation so I dared to say one word to him - OK?" Dr Guillen shared.
"Then he turned to me and with that big Russian accent said 'no problem'."
"That sense of relief," Dr Guillen remembered. "It was like winning the lottery."
After speaking with the scientist at the start of today's show, Good Morning Britain hosts Susanna and Richard thanked Dr Guillen for sharing his story.
Dr Guillen crossed his fingers as Susanna told him: "We hope that sense of relief will come to those on the sub."
*Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV from 6am
