PortraitHis journey to the wreck of the Titanic was not his most extreme adventure – nor was it his deepest sea voyage – but the family of British businessman Hamish Harding, after all, hoped he would return safely. The submarine he is aboard is untraceable and his chances of survival are diminishing by the minute. The whole world holds its breath. But who really is Hamish Harding? A portrait of a man who knows how to make dreams come true.
WATCH: Tourist submarine goes missing in Atlantic Ocean
“As a child, I often wondered how I was going to get into the Guinness Book of World Records. Yes, that is my dream. But I had ambitions, and I didn’t want to break some silly record like the number of rebounds on a ping-pong ball. This is what Hamish Harding said in an interview with the BBC a few years ago. Although he had to wait a while to get there, the British billionaire has now made it into the Guinness Book of Records three times. Not for small exploits.
On the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, he led a mission with eight astronauts and pilots between July 9 and July 11, flying Qatar Airways’ G650ER around the Earth via the north and south poles in 46 hours 40 minutes 22 seconds. A wonderful post. In March 2021, he and fellow explorer Victor Vescovo dived deep into the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean known to date, in a two-seater submarine. The mission spent the longest distance traveled (4,600 meters) at such depth (4 hours 15 minutes). He has set two new records in just 24 hours.
Such a submarine has several safety features: it provides oxygen, water and emergency food for four days. The only catch? No other submarine can come to your aid in case of trouble.
Hamish Harding
During an interview about his double world record, Hamish Harding was remarkably clear about the risks associated with this type of adventure. In particular, the Challenger Deep, the submarine he used to dive into the Mariana Trench, suffered a propeller problem during the voyage. “Such a submarine has many safety features: it carries oxygen, water and emergency food for four days. The only catch? No other submarine can come to your aid in case of trouble. No other craft can go that deep. The food supply then becomes useless. If something goes wrong , you will never come back.
I hope he stays calm.
Janike Mikkelsen, Wedenshopper
Britain is experienced and risk-aware. This is partly explained by his scientific training: he studied at the University of Cambridge, where he graduated in natural sciences and chemical engineering. “They didn’t come out as expected, and we are now busy considering all possible worst-case scenarios. But I hope Hamish stays calm. He knows what he’s doing,” says Janik Mikkelsen, a Norwegian scientist and friend of Hamish Harding.
For a trip to the Titanic, the four participants paid 250,000 dollars (229,000 euros) each, which only a few privileges could afford. Although not on Forbes’ billionaires list, Harding is regularly advertised as a billionaire in the British media. His fortune is partly explained by his financial deals with the United Arab Emirates. He is also the founder of Action Group and chairman of Action Aviation, a private jet sales company in Dubai. Last year, he was one of six astronauts to go into space on Blue Origin’s fifth manned flight aboard New Shepard. Cost of the trip: $300,000.
Two years ago, the explorer returned to the South Pole with his 12-year-old son Giles, which allowed him to obtain a record for the youngest traveler in this mythical place. Harding is married to Linda and has another son, Rory. Linda is also the mother of two other children from a previous marriage. The Briton has always had a busy life, the secret to his happiness. “People tend to give up on their dreams, especially as they get older. But I love finding ways to turn my crazy ideas into reality.
Hamish Harding lacks dreams. Before going aboard the Titanic, the man worked on a project to set up a regular commercial jet service to Antarctica. To do this, he partnered with White Desert, a company that organizes luxury adventures in Antarctica. Finally, he worked with the Indian government on a project to reintroduce eight wild cheetahs from Namibia to India. A life led at 100 per hour.
Research continues
The U.S. and Canadian coastguards continued Tuesday to search for a missing tourist with five passengers, including billionaire Hamish Harding and explorers visiting the wreck of the Titanic off the coast of North America.
According to Hamish Harding’s post, French Titanic expert and oceanographer Paul-Henri Narcolet was also part of the expedition. “The sub was successfully launched and Hamish is currently diving,” the company tweeted on Sunday. But authorities were alerted on Sunday by the craft’s operator, OceanGate Expeditions, that the submarine was missing.
“At this time, contact with their submarine has been lost and information available is limited,” according to a Dawood family statement. “We are very grateful for the concern shown by our colleagues and friends and ask everyone to keep them safe.”
The US Coast Guard launched two planes to survey the search area in the North Atlantic and their Canadian counterparts sent a plane and a ship. Time is now a critical factor with a 96-hour window to locate the submarine’s occupants.
