Family of Titanic sub tourists express 'profound grief'

The family of the British-Pakistani father and son who were on board the ill-fated Titan submersible expressed their "profound grief" at their loss on Friday

Shahzada Dawood, aged 48, and his son Suleman, 19, were among the five people on board the sub when it disappeared in the North Atlantic four days previously.

"It is with profound grief that we announce the passing of Shahzada and Suleman Dawood," said a statement from the Dawood Foundation, his family's charitable organization.

"We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the other passengers on the Titan submersible," said the statement, which was signed by Shahzada's parents, Hussain and Kulsum Dawood.

Dawood was among Pakistan's wealthiest men. The family-owned the Engro Corporation, a fertilizer company, among other businesses in Pakistan.

The Dawood Foundation thanked all parties who were involved in the rescue operations and said, "their untiring efforts were a source of strength for us during this time."

Also on board the vessel were British explorer Hamish Harding, French submarine expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Stockton Rush — CEO of the sub's operator OceanGate Expeditions.

Doomed trip to Titanic's resting place

The 21-foot (6.5-meter) Titan was due to resurface seven hours after beginning its descent at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, but the craft lost communication less than two hours in.

A multinational search-and-rescue operation involving various vessels and aircraft from the US and Canadian coast guards, including a robot sent from France, joined the rescue operation.

The rescue effort included searching 10,000 square miles (around 25,000 square kilometers) of surface water.

On Thursday, the US Coast Guard said the vessel had suffered a "catastrophic implosion," killing all of those on board — likely in an instant.

The statement from US authorities followed confirmation from Rear Admiral John Mauger that debris found on the seabed, 1,600 feet (500 meters) from the bow of the Titanic, was consistent with there having been an implosion of the sub's pressure chamber.

The search for the missing submersible has become an investigation and salvage mission which officials say could take an indefinite amount of time to conclude.

The RMS Titanic sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg during its maiden voyage from England to New York.

There were 2,224 passengers and crew on board and more than 1,500 people perished.

OceanGate Expeditions — the company which operated tours to the site of the doomed passenger liner — charged $250,000 for a seat on the sub.

"These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world's oceans," the company said in a statement. "We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew," OceanGate said.

Calls to halt Titanic tourist missions

The tragedy of the Titan submersible has prompted calls for tourist visits to the Titanic shipwreck to be paused until further notice.

Scientist and journalist Michael Guillen visited the Titanic shipwreck himself aboard a Russian research submersible in 2000, and believes there are currently too many unknowns for tourist visits like the OceanGate mission to resume safely.

"I think for certain we should put a pause on all tourist trips to the Titanic. It's dangerous, even under the most ideal circumstances," he told DW's Nicole Frölich on Friday.

"And it's also sacred ground. So it's not just going to gawk at a shipwreck."

Guillen said the Titan's deep sea descent needs to be mapped and debris must be recovered, if possible, in order to determine where the weak spot on the vessel was.

"And once we know that information, then we cannot jump to conclusions, but then we can make intelligent conclusions, well-reasoned conclusions, and then try to fix it so that in the future, if we allow this tourism to continue, we can ensure the safety of its passengers," he said.

Watching this catastrophe unfold brought back the trauma of his own journey to the Titanic shipwreck, when the submersible he was on became lodged in the Titanic's propeller for around 30 minutes.

"I know very well what it's like to be down there in the middle of the nowhere," Guillen told DW.

"The North Atlantic waters are especially unforgiving. They're cold, they're restless, just like the rest of the ocean. It's a very dangerous mission."

"And I was prepared to give up my life, in fact, until right up until the moment that our pilot informed us that he had successfully extricated us from the blades of the propeller. I had already made peace. I was ready to let go."

zc, kb/sms (AFP, AP)