‘He’s where he loved being’: Titanic explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet's heartbroken daughter was hopeful before discovery of debris
LA MASSANA, ANDORRA: French deep sea explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who was also a Titanic expert, is believed to have died after he took the doomed Titan, which began its journey on June 18 before going missing. The 77-year-old was going to explore the site of Titanic’s ruins along with four other men but the vessel reportedly did not survive after a “catastrophic implosion.”
OceanGate, which owned Titan, shared in a statement, “We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost. These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.”
“The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organizations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission. We appreciate their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families. This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea,” the diving firm added.
Who is Sidonie Nargeolet?
Sidonie is the daughter of Paul-Henri. The 39-year-old told Reuters not long before the tragic news came out that she was feeling "a lot of stress, very mixed emotions." She continued, “I really hope they will find them and safe. I think we have to trust what they are doing and be confident.”
Sidonie also admired her father for his work and patience, and noted, “He is very passionate about the Titanic since they found it 30 years ago and I know now he is at the place he would like to be.” She further stated, “He knows how to handle a crisis situation. He is prepared for it. Here, I think that with the other people, he would have explained to them, therefore, to breathe gently, so that we use less oxygen. And we also know how to reassure them, that's very important. Maybe kick the submarine, so they can hear it.”
‘He is happy where he is’
Sidonie shared that she learned about the tourist's craft’s vanishment on June 19 after getting a message from her father’s spouse. “I cried a lot,” she said before mentioning, “He sent me a message a week before (getting in the submersible) telling me the weather was bad, so they hadn't been able to go down, but that there was a great atmosphere. I sent him a message on Sunday for Father's Day but he didn't reply.”
Reflecting on her worst fear, Sidonie added, “If they are not found, it will be very sad for us because we will not see him again. What he liked the most was to be in a submarine, (near) the Titanic. He is where he really loved being. I would prefer him (dying) at a place where he is very happy. So whether he's in a submarine and whether he's in the Titanic, I know he likes it. I hope there will be a good outcome, that they will find him. In any case … he is happy where he is … That's reassuring.”
