five major parts of the vessel were found in the Titanic wreckage, including a tail cone but no signs of any human remains. OceanGate released a statement confirming the death of these five men, and sent out condolences to their families.
Now the next step is to investigate how the implosion happened, and the chairman of the Transportation Safety Board, Kathy Fox. said they were working hard to get everyone answers.
During the search, Harding's friend, Terry Virts, wrote, "There is still hope." He shared that there was still a chance those onboard would be found alive because the search team hadn't heard any catastrophic sounds on sonar or found any debris. He also said the five onboard had oxygen supplies to see them through Thursday, June 22, 2023.
Virts said he was praying for Harding and the rest of the submersible crew. He thanked the US Coast Guard, Navy, and Air Force, as well as the Canadian government, who worked tirelessly to find the missing vessel.
Harding had a close bond with his family, who asked for privacy as they navigated their loss. The family released a statement praising him for being a great father and husband. One of his sons explained his death would be mourned by his children and wife.
Harding's company Action Aviation and his family released a joint statement that confirmed the aviator was in the "Titan submersible at the Titanic site."
They noted that they were grateful for the kind messages and support they received from friends and colleagues. They also thanked authorities and companies who were involved in the search:
"The team at Action Aviation are very proud of Hamish, and we look forward to welcoming him home. The Harding Family and Action Aviation politely request privacy at this time."
Harding had a close connection with his family, especially his 15-year-old son Giles, who wants to become a pilot like him. Harding and Giles used to go on explorations together.
The aviator included his family in his exploration successes. He once shared a picture with his son and wife after his achievement and noted how happy he was to share his success with his family.
The aviator also shared a picture with his son on one exploration and said in January 2020, Giles became the youngest person to reach the South Pole:
"How grateful I am to be exploring the world with you, @giles.explores, as father and son. Here's to all the discoveries we will make."
When Harding took a historic descent and traversed the bottom of the Mariana Trench's deepest point, he went with Giles. Giles was always looking forward to his and his father's adventures.
Father and son often took memorable and beautiful pictures during their adventures, and in one picture, Giles sat on the co-pilot's seat. Sometimes, Harding explored with his son and friend. In one adventure, the two were with Richard Garriott. Harding posted:
"With @richard_garriott and @giles.explores on the deck of DSSV Pressure Drop, ready for the dives to come."
Harding and Giles had amazing experiences during these explorations, where the son got to learn about his dream career. Harding shared:
"Throwback to playing sea captains with my son @giles.explores at the Challenger Deep. There are definitely more of you since our last expedition in February, so I thought I'd introduce myself. I am Hamish Harding, husband, father of 2, and avid explorer."
In one of Harding and Giles' visits to the south pole, his dad noticed the effect of climate change on the area and informed people online:
"…back in January, we noticed the signs of climate change, and they're becoming very apparent. 80% of the world's fresh water is in Antarctica. We could see some of the coastal ice shelves melt and collapse into the sea, that affects."
Harding also took his family on trips to learn about aviation. They visited the Living Legends of Aviation in Scalaria, which the aviator said was a great place for young people to get inspired by amazing aviation displays.
Harding's family waited for him to come home, the First District Response Coordinator, Captain Jamie Frederick, said the search crew was doing everything possible to effect a rescue, but it all ended tragically.
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