Expert Aboard Imperiled Titanic Expedition Has CT Connection: Reports

CONNECTICUT — Crews are continuing the search Wednesday for a submersible vessel with five people aboard that lost contact Sunday night.

One of those aboard the expedition is Titanic expert Paul Henry Nargeolet, who has lived in Kent, CT since at least 2015, according to WFSB 3-TV. Nargeolet is listed as a current board member of the Kent Library Association.

Nargeolet, 77, is the underwater research program director for RMS Titanic, Inc., which has conducted eight research expeditions to the wreckage site since 1987, according to its website. Nargeolet has also lived in Greenwich, according to The News-Times.

He has led several expeditions to the Titanic, completed 37 dives in the submersible himself, and supervised the recovery of 5,000 artifacts, according to his bio. He was born in Chamoix, France, lived in Africa for 13 years, and spent 22 years in the French Navy.

He is one of those aboard the Titan, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, which was reported overdue Sunday night after diving to the wreck, located about 900 nautical miles off the coast of Cape Cod.

The 21-foot submersible had a 96-hour oxygen supply (4 days), which was dwindling as of Wednesday morning. However, sonar buoys have picked up noises the search area, giving the massive rescue operation a glimmer of hope. US authorities said the noises were audible every half hour for about four hours on Tuesday, according to reports.

Those on board include Nargeolet, British businessman Hamish Harding, 58, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, his son Suleman, 18, and Stockton Rush, 61, the chief executive of OceanGate, the BBC reported.

The AP reports that this expedition was OceanGate's third annual voyage "to chronicle the deterioration" of the once-splendid Titanic, which has been in the watery depths since 1912. Since the wrecked ocean liner's split remains were discovered in 1985, a metal-eating bacteria has been consuming the ship according to the report.

The initial group of tourists funded the expedition by spending anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000 per person, reported the Associated Press.

Currently, a ticket to one of the expeditions can cost up to $250,000 according to the BBC.