British Billionaire Among Crew on Missing Titanic Submersible
The stepson of British billionaire Hamish Harding believes Blink-182 will get him through “life’s toughest times.”
Brian Szasz spoke out on social media to defend his decision to attend a Blink-182 concert amid a high-stakes rescue mission to find his stepfather, as well as four other passengers, onboard the missing Titanic submersible.
“Yes I went to @blink-182 last night,” Szasz, an audio engineer based in San Diego, wrote on his Instagram Stories June 20 alongside a photo of him at the venue. “What am I supposed to do sit at home and watch the news? Not sorry this band has helped me through hard times since 1998.”
The 37-year-old shared news of his outing on Facebook June 19, according to screenshots obtained by multiple outlets, where he wrote, “It might be distasteful being here but my family would want me to be at the blink-182 show as it’s my favorite band and music helps me in difficult times!”
He later deleted the post, noting that his mom Linda “asked me to delete all related posts. Thanks for the support.”
Meanwhile, on Twitter, Szasz expressed his gratitude to Blink-182 band members Tom DeLonge, Travis Barker and Mark Hoppus.
“My stepdad Hamish is on this submarine lost at sea,” Szasz tweeted. “I’m devastated but coming to the San Diego show tonight so you guys can give me hope and cheer me up.”
Brian Szasz/Instagram
The 21-foot submersible—named Titan—lost contact with Canadian Research Vessel Polar Prince on June 18 approximately an hour and 45 minutes into its dive to view the wreckage of the RMS Titanic, according to the United States Coast Guard News.
Titan was part of an OceanGate Expeditions tour—which explores the RMC Titanic, the ship that sank in 1912 and inspired James Cameron‘s Titanic—and is located about approximately 900 nautical miles East of Cape Cod, according to the Coast Guard.
Victoria Sirakova/Getty Images; Facebook
“Our entire focus is on the crew members in the submersible and their families,” OceanGate said in a statement, obtained by NBC News, “we are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to reestablish contact with the submersible.”
Along with Harding, CEO Stockton Rush, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood are on board.
Keep scrolling to learn more about the five-member crew onboard the Titan submersible…
AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee
Stockton Rush
On June 20, OceanGate confirmed that its CEO Stockton Rush is aboard the submersible as a member of the crew.
The company previously expressed its sympathies to the families of the missing passengers. “Our entire focus is on the crew members in the submersible and their families,” OceanGate said in a June 19 statement, “we are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to reestablish contact with the submersible.”
Courtesy of the Dawood family
Shahzada Dawood & Son Suleman Dawood
Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood are also onboard the submersible.
“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,” their loved ones said in a statement obtained by NBC News. “The family is well looked after and are praying to Allah for the safe return of their family members.”
Action Aviation via AP
Hamish Harding
British billionaire Hamish Harding confirmed he was a part of the mission in a June 17 Instagram post, a day before the submersible went into the water and disappeared.
“I am proud to finally announce that I joined @oceangateexped for their RMS TITANIC Mission as a mission specialist on the sub going down to the Titanic,” he wrote. “Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023. A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow.”
“We started steaming from St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada yesterday and are planning to start dive operations around 4am tomorrow morning,” Harding continued. “Until then we have a lot of preparations and briefings to do.”
JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images
Paul-Henri Nargeolet
As for the fifth member, a representative for French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet told the New York Times that he’s a passenger on the Titan, with Harding also referencing him on Instagram as a member of the team. However, NBC News has not been able to confirm that Nargeolet is in fact onboard the submersible at this time.
OceanGate Expeditions via AP
The Titan
As Action Aviation businessman Harding noted in his post, the submersible—named Titan—is a part of an OceanGate Expeditions tour that explores the wreckage of the RMS Titanic, which infamously sank in 1912.
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