Missing Titanic sub: Dubai expat Harding’s family, friends await his safe return, put ‘great faith’ in rescuers’ expertise

UAE resident and British explorer Hamish Harding’s family and colleagues are awaiting his safe return from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. In a statement shared with Khaleej Times, his Dubai-headquartered company Action Aviation confirmed he is aboard the Titan submersible, which went missing while exploring the Titanic wreckage.

Mark Butler, managing director of Action Aviation, said the company and the Harding family take “great pride” in the explorer’s achievements. “The team at Action Aviation are extremely proud of Hamish and we look forward to welcoming him home.”

The explorer’s family is “very grateful” for all the “kind messages of concern and support from our friends and colleagues”.

“We are thankful for the continued efforts of the authorities and companies that have stepped in to aid in the rescue efforts. We put great faith and trust in their expertise,” Butler said.

Referring to Harding’s adventure-loving nature, the managing director of his company listed out his achievements, which include his three world records, circumnavigation of the world, space flight and diving to the deepest oceanic trench on Earth.

“The Harding family and Action Aviation politely request privacy at this time,” he added.

Meanwhile, in a social media post, Harding’s friend and Nasa astronaut, Terry Virts, says there is still hope. “Good news is that we haven’t heard any catastrophic sounds on sonar or found any debris, they have oxygen supplies through Thursday, and an armada of US / Canadian / commercial vessels and aircraft are helping search efforts.”

Speaking to the media, Virts mentioned a text message the Dubai-based businessman sent him before embarking on the journey.

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