'Banging' heard in search for missing Titanic tourist submarine - The Independent

Rescuers race against clock after noises heard from Titanic vessel search area

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There are now less than 24 hours of oxygen left in the missing Titan submersible as rescue efforts continue for the five divers.

A Canadian aircraft searching for the sub in the Atlantic Ocean detected intermittent “banging” noises from the vicinity of its last known location.

The crew searching for the missing sub heard banging sounds every 30 minutes on Tuesday and again four hours later, after additional sonar devices were deployed.

However, Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard who is leading the search, said that “we don’t know the source of the noise”.

CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood are on the OceanGate Expeditions’ submersible, Titan.

The watercraft submerged on Sunday morning from its support vessel to travel to the Titanic wreckage which sits at a depth of 12,500ft. About an hour and 45 minutes later, the Titan lost contact with its mother ship, the Polar Prince, authorities said.

The Titan is equipped with a four-day emergency oxygen supply. It is estimated that the five missing passengers have less than 24 hours of oxygen supply left inside the vessel.

The US Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard are involved in rescue efforts.

1687356944

More assets en route to search and rescue

The US Coast Guard has more assets en route to the search area where the Titan submersible may be missing including several Canadian ships and research vessels.

In a statement, posted on Tuesday (20 June) the Coast Guard listed the number of new assets.

- Canadian CGS John Cabot

- Canadian CGS Ann Harvey

- Canadian CGS Terry Fox

- Canadian CGS Atlantic Merlin (Remotely Operated Vehicle)

- Motor Vessel Horizon Arctic

- Commercial Vessel Skandi Vinland (Remotely Operated Vehicle)

- French research vessel L’Atalante (Remotely Operated Vehicle)

- His Majesty’s Canadian Ship Glace Bay

The Glace Ship contains a decompression chamber and medical personnel aboard as well.

Ariana Baio21 June 2023 15:15

1687355429

Missing Titanic submarine: Timeline of how events unfolded as search for tourist submersible continues

“I am proud to finally announce that I joined OceanGate Expeditions for their RMS TITANIC Mission as a mission specialist on the sub going down to the Titanic,” Mr Harding 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.”

His chilling final post before the mission was the last time the world heard from him.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 June 2023 14:50

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'Vile' Titanic submarine memes show social media at its worst

Every now and then, there’s an element of online discourse that reminds you how much of a cesspit social media is.

The search for the OceanGate Expeditions submarine is one of them.

Ever since a craft containing five people went missing on a journey to observe the wreckage of the Titanic on Sunday, our timelines have been full of people making light of the situation - they must be seeing a very different news story to the one we’re seeing.

Read more here:

'Vile' Titanic submarine memes show social media at its worst

Every now and then, there’s an element of online discourse that reminds you how much of a cesspit social media is.The search for the OceanGate Expeditions submarine is one of them.Ever since a craft containing five people went missing on a journey to observe the wreckage of the Titanic on Sunday, ou...

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 June 2023 14:40

1687354380

‘Pressures down there will cut you like a razor blade'

Former reporter Dr Michael Guillen who went on a Titanic submarine expedition in 2000 described his panic when the vessel got stuck underneath the shipwreck.

Recalling the terror he felt, he told Sky News: “We had been told a story about a man who was caught in a similar situation and in his panic went to the escape hatch thinking he would go up that way, but of course expedited as doom.

“The pressures down there in the water, even if a little crack comes through, will cut you like a razor blade.”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 June 2023 14:33

1687353900

‘Catastrophic implosion’, tangled in Titanic, lost at sea: Three expert theories on fate of missing sub

Arguably the worst case scenario is a catastrophic rupture in the submersible’s outer shell, causing an implosion that would kill everyone aboard very quickly.

The wreck of theTitanic sits around 3,800m below sea level, where the water pressure bearing down on any given object is roughly 376 times greater than that exerted by Earth’s atmosphere.

Humans cannot survive that kind of pressure, which is why we need a submersible. But, according to Australian robotics professor Stefan B Williams, that level of danger makes the margin of error small.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 June 2023 14:25

1687352511

Three expert theories on fate of missing sub

The Titan, built and operated by an undersea adventure tourism company called OceanGate Expeditions, remained missing as of Wednesday morning. There are five people onboard: OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, renowned French river Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman.

Although we still don’t know what might have happened to them, experts have cohered around three basic scenarios, none of which are good news for the crew – or their families.

Io Dodds has more.

Holly Evans21 June 2023 14:01

1687352349

OceanGate CEO complained about ‘obscenely safe’ regulations

The founder of the company which operates the missing Titanic tourist submarine complained about “obscenely safe” regulations holding the industry back years before he found himself at the centre of disaster.

Maanya Sachdeva has more.

Holly Evans21 June 2023 13:59

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The Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, said that the people of the emirate are praying for the “hopeful return home” of the five passengers onboard the missing Titan submersible.

He wrote on Twitter: “While search teams are working hard to rescue passengers of the OceanGate Submarine: Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, Paul-Henry Nargeolet, and Stockton Rush; Dubai and its people pray for their safety and hopeful return home.”

“We are following the updates anxiously and are unified in our prayers for them and their families during these difficult times.”

British billionaire Hamish Harding who is onboard the vessel lives in Dubai.

The Crown Prince of Dubai tweeted that the emirate was praying for the Titan passengers “safety”

(Getty Images)

Holly Evans21 June 2023 13:43

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“Rudimentary toilet” believed to be on Titan sub

While few details are known about the conditions of the submersible, accounts from people who have previously visited the Titanic say that food and water is available for passengers.

The BBC also reports that a “rudimentary toilet” can be used.

It is estimated that there is less than 24 hours left of oxygen on the sub as rescue efforts continue to search in the area.

A “rudimentary toilet” is believed to be available on the sub

(OceanGate Expeditions)

Holly Evans21 June 2023 13:38

1687349462

Family of two passengers hope they return “safe and sound"

The sister and aunt of two passengers onboard the Titan submersible have said their “sole focus” is on the search and rescue efforts.

Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman are on board the missing vessel, which was due to return on Sunday from its 12,500ft dive down to the Titanic wreckage.

The family Shahzada Dawood and his teenage son Suleman have said their “sole focus” is on the search and rescue mission

(Family handout)

Speaking to Sky News she said: “We are deeply grateful for the efforts of news agencies during this difficult time; your constant coverage of the missing Titan submersible is undoubtedly playing a large role in the world’s ability to access relevant updates on the matter.

“At this time, the Dawood family’s sole focus is the rescue of our beloved Shahzada and Suleman Dawood and we are unable to address any questions or comments at the moment.

“We trust that the family will be granted privacy as we deal with this crisis.

“May Shahzada and Suleman return to us safe and sound.

“We are sure they would be as moved as we are by the support of the global community during this period of difficulty.”

Holly Evans21 June 2023 13:11

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2023-06-21 13:50:29Z
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Rishi Sunak's election strategy under threat as economic gloom intensifies - Financial Times

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2023-06-21 09:21:08Z
2141870917

Why won't Rishi Sunak give Partygate verdict on Boris Johnson? - BBC

Getty Images

By Nick Eardley & Paul Seddon

BBC News

MPs delivered their verdict on Boris Johnson on Monday night, endorsing a report that found he deliberately misled Parliament over Partygate.

But 225 of his former Conservative MP colleagues were absent, including Rishi Sunak.

The prime minister's spokesman has said he "respects" the result.

But Mr Sunak is yet to say if he actually agrees with the findings, with his spokesman telling reporters on Tuesday he considers the matter closed.

The prime minister wasn't the only member of the government staying away, with the majority of the cabinet also absent. So where were they?

'Longstanding engagements'

Most had decided to stay away from the Commons debate, rather than record their verdict against the man who led them to victory at the last general election.

It did not stop the report, written by the Commons privileges committee after a year-long inquiry, passing easily by 354 votes to seven.

Conservative MPs who voted against it included Sir Bill Cash, Nick Fletcher, Adam Holloway, Karl McCartney, Joy Morrissey and Heather Wheeler.

• MPs overwhelmingly back Johnson Partygate report
• Drakeford accuses Sunak of cowardice on Partygate
• Chris Mason: A vote about principles and blunt politics
• Boris Johnson Partygate report at a glance

Work and Pensions Minister Mel Stride has told the BBC he had abstained from the vote because its main sanction - a hypothetical 90-day suspension for Mr Johnson, had he not already quit as an MP - was too severe.

Another cabinet minister - Michael Gove - said the same on Sunday.

But what about Rishi Sunak?

We are told the prime minister had longstanding engagements on Monday.

In the afternoon, he had a meeting with Sweden's PM Ulf Kristersson. In the evening, he attended an event hosted by a health and social care charity.

When asked how Mr Sunak would have voted if he'd attended, his spokesman refused to engage, calling the question "hypothetical".

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For the prime minister, this question is about more than just logistics.

Mr Sunak has gone to great lengths not to deliver a verdict on whether his predecessor lied to Parliament.

He was asked about it on Thursday morning, just before the committee's report was published. He said he did not want to pre-empt their conclusions.

On Sunday evening, having had the weekend to digest the report's findings, he was asked how he would vote.

Several times, he dodged a direct answer and simply said he did not want to influence other MPs, who were not being instructed by party managers - called whips - how they should vote.

So as things stand, we still do not know what the prime minister thinks about the report. We'll keep asking.

In some respects, that uncertainty is convenient for Mr Sunak.

If he had voted to endorse the report, he would have been seen by Boris Johnson's allies as having committed another act of treachery.

Many would never have forgiven him. They could have made life difficult in the coming months.

'Cowardly cop-out'

If he had rejected the report, that would have angered other Conservatives who spoke passionately in defence of the privileges committee in the Commons on Monday.

It would have, in the eyes of opponents, undermined his commitment to integrity, professionalism and accountability, which he made on the steps of Downing Street when he became PM.

But his decision not to vote or comment on the report is not without risk.

You can expect opposition parties to hammer home the argument that Mr Sunak is too weak to deliver judgment on Mr Johnson.

Liberal Democrats have accused him of a "cowardly cop-out," while Labour has called him "too weak to lead a party too divided to govern".

Related Topics

• Coronavirus lockdown measures
• Boris Johnson
• Rishi Sunak

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2023-06-20 11:54:32Z
2159766152

Boris Johnson: MPs back Partygate report as just seven vote against - BBC

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By Becky Morton

Political reporter

MPs have backed a report that found Boris Johnson deliberately misled MPs over lockdown parties at Downing Street.

The Commons voted overwhelmingly in support of the report, by 354 to seven.

The cross-party committee's report had found Mr Johnson committed repeated offences when he said Covid rules had been followed at No 10 at all times.

Several allies of Mr Johnson questioned the impartiality of the committee and said they would vote against.

Former Prime Minister Theresa May, Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan were among the senior Conservatives who supported the report's findings.

Conservative MPs who voted against included Sir Bill Cash, Nick Fletcher, Adam Holloway, Karl McCartney, Joy Morrissey and Heather Wheeler - while 118 Tories voted in favour.

No vote was recorded for 225 MPs, because they either abstained or did not turn up to vote.

Mr Johnson had asked his supporters not to vote against the report, with sources close to the former prime minister arguing it had no practical effect now he has resigned.

But his critics suggested the move was designed to avoid revealing the low level of support for him among Tory MPs.

Some abstained, while others did not turn up to vote at all.

Johnson allies who spoke in the debate but did not vote include Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and Lia Nici.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak did not attend the debate and has refused to say how he would have voted, suggesting he did not want to influence others.

Senior Conservative Tobias Ellwood, who voted to back the report, said it was a "highly symbolic" day as Parliament sought to "bring to a conclusion a very difficult chapter in British politics".

He said that because Mr Johnson had already "walked", many MPs, including him, had not initially appreciated the wider public's high expectations for Parliament to not just rubber stamp this report but thoroughly debate its findings, given it related to rules set by the government.

"This was the collective conscience of Parliament, if you like, being judged by the British people," he said.

The Liberal Democrats accused Mr Sunak of "a cowardly cop-out".

The party's deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: "His failure to vote says all you need to know about this prime minister's lack of leadership."

A Labour Party spokesperson said Mr Sunak was "too weak to lead a party too divided to govern".

The vote means Mr Johnson loses his right to a parliamentary pass, which gives access to certain parts of Parliament, as this was one of the report's recommendations.

• As it happened: MPs have their say on Partygate report
• Boris Johnson Partygate report at a glance

The Privileges Committee of MPs, which has a Conservative majority, was asked to investigate whether Mr Johnson had misled MPs over what he knew about parties held in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns - dubbed the Partygate scandal.

Its report concluded that Mr Johnson made multiple deliberately misleading statements to Parliament about events at No 10.

Ahead of the report's publication, Mr Johnson announced he was quitting as an MP, branding the committee a "kangaroo court".

The report found Mr Johnson had committed further "contempts" of Parliament by attacking the committee, increasing the severity of the recommended sanction.

The committee subsequently recommended a 90-day suspension for Mr Johnson - a long ban by recent standards - as well as denying him the parliamentary pass, which he would normally be entitled to as a former MP.

If he had still been an MP, the suspension could have triggered a by-election in his constituency.

Speaking during a Commons debate ahead of the vote, Mrs May said backing the report would be "a small but important step in restoring people's trust" in Parliament.

It was "important to show the public that there is not one rule for them and another for us", she said.

Mrs May urged her fellow MPs to vote in support of the report "to uphold standards in public life, to show that we all recognise the responsibility we have to the people we serve, and to help to restore faith in our parliamentary democracy".

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During the debate, supporters of Mr Johnson spoke out against the report's findings.

Ms Nici, who was Mr Johnson's parliamentary private secretary, told MPs she could not see any evidence he had knowingly misled Parliament.

She questioned the impartiality of the committee and suggested the process was "political opportunism" for people who did not like Mr Johnson.

Former minister Sir Jacob, who was knighted by Mr Johnson in his resignation honours, described the proposed 90-day suspension as "a vindictive sanction".

In response to accusations some Johnson allies had attempted to discredit the committee's work, Mr Rees-Mogg said it was "absolutely legitimate to criticise the conduct of a committee" and its members.

However, the committee's chairwoman, Labour MP Harriet Harman, said its members had to "withstand a campaign of threats, intimidation, and harassment designed to challenge the legitimacy of the inquiry".

She defended her impartiality, after Sir Jacob referenced her previous tweets criticising Mr Johnson, saying she had offered to step aside as chairwoman after the tweets emerged but she said she was assured by the government she should continue in her role.

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Earlier it was not clear whether there would be a formal vote on the report - compelling MPs to go on the record to either vote for, against or abstain - but Labour forced one.

It was a free vote for Tory MPs, meaning party managers - known as whips - had not instructed them how to vote.

Commons Leader Ms Mordaunt, who opened the debate, said she would vote in support of the report, adding: "The integrity of our institutions matter."

However, she said "all members need to make up their own minds and others should leave them alone to do so".

Related Topics

• Theresa May
• Boris Johnson

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2023-06-20 06:49:35Z
2159766152

Titanic tourist submarine missing with five onboard has 70 hours of air left - The Independent

Ex-British Navy officer reveals 'concerning timescales' of missing Titanic sub

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A huge search and rescue operation is still under way to find the Titanic tourist submarine which has now been missing for more than two days in the Atlantic Ocea with five people on board.

British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Sulaiman Dawood are on board the OceanGate’s Titan submersible. Founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush is believed to be the fifth person.

The vessel was equipped with a four-day emergency supply of oxygen before it left its mother ship.

On Monday afternoon, Rear Adm John Mauger of the US Coast Guard todl reporters that there was believed to be between 70 and the full 96 hours left at that point.

The craft submerged Sunday morning, and its support vessel, the Canadian research icebreaker Polar Prince, lost contact with it about an hour and 45 minutes later, authorities said.

OceanGate Expeditions, a company offering eight-day missions to see the Titanic debris at a cost of $250,000 per person, said it is “exploring and mobilising all options to bring the crew back safely.” The US Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard are involved in rescue efforts.

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Map of the location of the Titanic shipwreck

Graeme Massie20 June 2023 09:01

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WATCH: Locator map shows shipwreck where Titanic OceanGate submarine went missing

Locator map shows shipwreck where Titanic OceanGate submarine went missing

Rachel Sharp20 June 2023 13:15

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Submersible had communication problems in past

As the US Coast Guard works to locate the OceanGate submersible ship CBS reporter David Pogue reminds people that this is not the first time the submersible has faced communication issues.

The submersible is not fully functioning in the same way a submarine is. It requires a surface ship to give it the correct directions.

Last year, Mr Pogue conducted a CBS report on the sub and joined the crew for a dive when it lost communication with the surface ship. This caused the crew aboard the submersible to become lost.

“We were lost for two and a half hours,” one of the crew members told Mr Pogue.

Graeme Massie20 June 2023 13:00

1687261541

Inside the Titanic-spotting submarine missing in the Atlantic:

A rescue operation is underway in the North Atlantic after a submarine touring the wreck of HMS Titanic went missing with five people on board.

OceanGate Expeditions offers missions to tour the debris of the luxury liner which sank in 1912 and was only rediscovered in 1985 – at a cost of $250,000 (£195k) per person. The company confirmed on Monday that its sub was lost at sea and the search for the vessel is underway.

Read the full story about what it’s like inside Titan:

Rachel Sharp20 June 2023 12:45

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WATCH: What happened to the Titan tourist submersible?

Missing Titanic submarine: What happened to the Titan tourist submersible?

Rachel Sharp20 June 2023 12:30

1687259700

Expert reveals challenges of underwater search

An expert has revealed the challenges of the underwater search for the submersible which lost contact while visiting the wreck of the Titanic.

Dr Jamie Pringle, Reader in Forensic Geosciences at Keele University, UK, said in a statement to The Independent: “Aquatic search is pretty tricky, as the ocean floor is a lot more rugged than on land, and water isn’t homogenous either – there are different stratified levels of water and currents.

“A typical land search for a missing person or vehicle would move outwards radially from the last known position. This is how this search is also likely being conducted.

OceanGate tourist sub

(OceanGate Expeditions)

“Techniques vary, but in that water depth, a sonar search system would need to be specialised to a very narrow beam but high enough frequency in order to resolve a small submersible.

“The MH370 downed plane, lost in 2014, had a very large search radius and still hasn’t been solved. This search should be a much smaller search radius, as the submersible was reportedly on a relatively simple down and up dive.”

Rachel Sharp20 June 2023 12:15

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US Coast Guard says area where sub went missing is ‘remote’

During a press conference on Monday afternoon, Rear Admiral John Mauger, commander of the First US Coast Guard District said they were doing all they can to find the submersible but the area it went missing in was going to be challenging.

“The location of the search is approximately 900 miles east of Cape Code in a water depth of roughly 13,000 feet. It is a remote area and it is a challenge to conduct a search in that remote area but we are deploying all available assets to make sure we can locate the craft and rescue the people on board,” Mr Mauger said.

Due to the type of watercraft the submersible is, the Coast Guard has to search both surface level and underwater as it could be in either place.

Graeme Massie20 June 2023 12:00

1687257900

WATCH: Ex-British Navy officer reveals 'concerning timescales' of missing Titanic sub

Ex-British Navy officer reveals 'concerning timescales' of missing Titanic sub

Rachel Sharp20 June 2023 11:45

1687257000

OceanGate adviser slams US government for holding up rescue efforts for missing Titanic sub due to paperwork

An OceanGate Expeditions adviser has slammed the US government for allegedly holding up efforts to rescue the five passengers on board the missing Titanic tourist sub – because of official paperwork.

David Concannon, an attorney and explorer who had a lucky escape when he pulled out of the adventure at the last minute, told NewsNation on Monday night that critical equipment that could help recover the missing Titan Vessel is currently thousands of miles away in the Guernsey Channel Islands.

The equipment is ready and waiting to be sent to the Atlantic Ocean to help find the missing sub, but can’t go anywhere until the US government authorises it.

“(They are) the same group, the experts, that did the advanced survey of the Titanic last year,” he said.

“They are mobilised. They’re sitting on the tarmac, ready to go. We have a ship off Newfoundland that is ready to take them to the site.”

While the five people on board are in a race for their lives, he said that the officials needed to sign off the rescue equipment aren’t showing the same level of urgency.

“This equipment has been on the tarmac for hours. When I communicate with the U.S. government, I get ‘out of office’ replies, not from everyone, but from key people that have a signoff on this,” he said.

Image of the OceanGate submersible

“That’s unacceptable. I don’t want to discourage the government officials that are helping because they’re doing their jobs, but we need to do it quicker.”

With the clock ticking until the vessel runs out of oxygen, Mr Concannon hammered home that there isn’t the time to waste.

“We need to move. We do not have minutes or hours. We need to move now,” he said.

He added: “We have people whose lives are at stake. You have to move. We have assets that are ready to go and they’re sitting and waiting.”

Rachel Sharp20 June 2023 11:30

1687256100

A look into Titanic tourism

The missing submersible has prompted interest into what people are looking for when they decide to embark on a pricy and potentially dangerous tour to view the wreckage of the Titanic.

A look back at The Independent’s reporting from 2020 into deep-sea tourism around the Titanic.

Graeme Massie20 June 2023 11:15

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2023-06-20 11:45:41Z
2161250613

MPs vote to back Partygate report that found Boris Johnson misled parliament - Evening Standard

M

Ps voted by 354 to seven to accept a report finding Boris Johnson deliberately misled the House of Commons over Partygate.

The vote means Mr Johnson, ousted as Prime Minister by his own party less than a year ago, will not be allowed a pass to visit the parliamentary estate and would have been banned for 90 days from sitting as an MP had he not resigned earlier this month.

On Monday evening Labour forced the vote on the Privileges Committee motion, with the Opposition providing tellers for both the ayes and noes.

The MPs who backed him included six Conservatives - Bill Cash, Nick Fletcher, Adam Holloway, Karl McCartney, Joy Morrissey and Heather Wheeler.

Read More

Their names were on the division list released immediately after the vote which contained six names in the noes rather than the seven announced in the chamber.

There have been ongoing issues with names being recorded on the division lists, with other votes seeing the Commons authorities issuing updates later on.

The division list showed 118 Conservative MPs voted in favour of the Privileges Committee report while no vote was recorded for 225 MPs.

The ayes list released immediately after the vote contained 352 names rather than the 354 announced in the chamber, but again this could be updated later by the Commons authorities.

Mr Johnson is said to have told his allies, who have criticised both the committee and the report, to abstain from voting entirely.

The Conservative Party allowed a free vote, with no whipping, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak avoided the debate and vote entirely.

That led to accusations he was “running scared” for refusing to say whether he would take part in any potential vote.

No 10 said the Prime Minister’s schedule on Monday “doesn’t include attending Parliament” and that he had commitments he “can’t move”.

But the debate and subsequent vote - which pitched former Prime Ministers against former cabinet ministers - laid bare the split within the Conservatives over Boris Johnson’s legacy.

Theresa May (Toby Melville/PA)

/ PA Archive

One of his predecessors Theresa May urged MPs to back the report and said supporting the Privileges Committee’s conclusions would be “a small but important step in restoring people’s trust” in Parliament.

In a veiled swipe at Mr Sunak’s absence from the chamber, Mrs May urged her party to “show that we are prepared to act when one of our own, however senior, is found wanting”.

Commons leader Penny Mordaunt said she would vote to support the report in her role “as the member for Portsmouth North”.

She said: “But all members need to make up their own minds and others should leave them alone to do so.”

Labour grandee Harriet Harman (House of Commons/UK Parliament)

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Mr Johnson and his supporters had sought to discredit the committee’s inquiry, including by accusing its chairwoman, veteran Labour MP Harriet Harman, of holding “prejudicial views”.

But during the debate, Ms Harman said the Government gave her assurances that she would not be seen as biased in her judgment of Mr Johnson.

After Tory former minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg highlighted her tweets criticising the ex-prime minister, Ms Harman said she told the Government she was “more than happy to step aside”.

“I was assured that I should continue the work that the House had mandated with the appointment that the House had put me into and so I did just that,” she added.

Rees-Mogg said it was legitimate to challenge the findings of the Privileges Committee, and dismissed removing Boris Johnson’s parliamentary pass as “ridiculous”.

Addressing the 90-day suspension from the Commons, said: “A vindictive sanction, it seems to me, which they can’t implement because Mr Johnson has left Parliament. So they go from the vindictive to the ridiculous with not allowing him a parliamentary pass.”

It came as the Metropolitan Police confirmed they were reviewing new material in relation to a Christmas party held at Conservative Campaign Headquarters during the height of the pandemic in December 2020.

Tory activists were invited to what was described as a “jingle and mingle” party, according to the BBC, despite members of the public being banned from seeing each other under Covid regulations in place at the time.

A video of the event published by the Sunday Mirror, which appeared to show Tory staff dancing and joking about coronavirus restrictions, is among the new evidence Scotland Yard is considering.

Both former London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey and Tory aide Ben Mallet, who were handed a peerage and an OBE respectively in Mr Johnson’s resignation honours, attended the gathering.

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2023-06-20 04:39:34Z
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Hamish Harding: British explorer aboard missing Titanic submarine - The Telegraph

A British billionaire adventurer is among five people on board a submersible that went missing on a dive to the wreck of the Titanic.

Hamish Harding, who runs an aviation company, was on the 21ft vessel when it set off on Sunday morning for what should have been an eight-hour trip to the bottom of the Atlantic.

Former French navy commander Paul-Henry Nargeolet and OceanGate founder Stockton Rush are also feared to be on board, according to several reports.

A rescue mission involving the US Coast Guard and an aircraft that can detect underwater vessels was under way on Monday as rescuers raced to reach the group before their oxygen supplies were exhausted.

The submersible has 96 hours of oxygen, and rescuers warned that it could take up to two days to reach the ocean floor if the craft had sunk there.

The OceanGate Expeditions tour group, which takes explorers to the depths of the Atlantic for $250,000 per person, is believed to have lost contact when the vessel was directly above the Titanic wreck. 

Paul-Henry Nargeolet is feared to be on board the missing vessel, reports suggest Credit: North Sky Photography

Stockton Rush is also feared to be among those missing, according to reports

Seattle-based OceanGate, which owns the missing submersible, said it was “exploring and mobilising all options to bring the crew back safely”.

Boston Coast Guard said its crew was “searching for an overdue Canadian research submarine approximately 900 miles off Cape Cod”.

The submersible, which launched from Polar Prince, a Canadian research vessel, “submerged Sunday morning, and the crew of the Polar Prince lost contact with them approximately one hour and 45 minutes into the vessel’s dive”, the Coast Guard said.

The Titan’s command ship, the Polar Prince Credit: Oceangate

Rear Admiral John Mauger, overseeing the search and rescue operation for the US Coast Guard, said on Monday: “Going into this evening we will continue to fly aircraft and move additional vessels.”

He told Fox News that the agency did not have the right equipment in the search area to do a “comprehensive sonar survey of the bottom”.

He said: “Right now, we’re really just focused on trying to locate the vessel again by saturating the air with aerial assets, by tasking surface assets in the area, and then using the underwater sonar.

“It is a remote area, and it is a challenge to conduct a search in that remote area.” He added that the Coast Guard was “doing everything we can do”.

Rear Admiral Mauger said that rescue services were notified on Sunday afternoon that the submersible was “overdue” and that it had five people on board. The vessel was designed to surface automatically if it ran into problems and, as of Monday afternoon, should have 72 hours of oxygen left. 

The last reported communication from the Titan submersible was about an hour and 45 minutes into its dive on Sunday, the US Coast Guard said. There was one pilot and four passengers on board, the agency said.

Rear Admiral Mauger said the Coast Guard is not releasing their names as they were still in the process of notifying families.

However, he said the search area was large and complicated by weather conditions.

“We anticipate that there’s somewhere between 70 to the full 96 hours at this point,” he said on Monday night.

“We’re using that time making the best use of every moment of that time,” he added.

The US military has dispatched two C-130 iceberg patrol aircraft to search the sea surface, with an additional on the way from New York. 

Canadian counterparts have dispatched a C-130 and an Orion P-8 that can drop sonar buoys to detect underwater noises, said Rear Admiral Mauger. Officials have also been reaching out to commercial vessels for help.

The search is taking place approximately 900 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in a water depth of almost two-and-a-half miles.

Experts said there were a number of challenges for the rescue effort to overcome. Chris Parry, a retired Navy rear admiral from the UK, told Sky News: “The actual nature of the seabed is very undulating. Titanic herself lies in a trench. There’s lots of debris around. 

“So trying to differentiate with sonar in particular and trying to target the area you want to search in with another submersible is going to be very difficult indeed.”

The missing submersible, named Titan, usually carries a pilot, three paying guests, and what OceanGate calls a “content expert”.

Titanic Titan submersible

In a tweet on Monday, CBS Sunday Morning correspondent David Pogue wrote: “You may remember that the @OceanGateExped sub to the Titanic got lost for a few hours LAST summer, too, when I was aboard.”

In his broadcast from the time, he said: “There is no GPS under water so the surface ship is supposed to guide the sub to the shipwreck by sending text messages.

“But on this dive communication somehow broke down, the sub never found the wreck.”

Family ‘devastated’

Kathleen Cosnett, Mr Harding’s cousin, told The Telegraph she was “devastated” and “stunned” to learn that he was on the missing submersible. 

She described him as a “daring” and “inquisitive… adventurist”. Brian Szasz, his stepson, said he was sending his “thoughts and prayers”.

In a statement, OceanGate said its focus was on those aboard and their families.

“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,” it said.

Mark Butler, managing director of Action Aviation, a company for which Mr Harding serves as chairman, told AP: “There is still plenty of time to facilitate a rescue mission, there is equipment on board for survival in this event. We’re all hoping and praying he comes back safe and sound.”

Mr Harding wrote on social media that the research vessel left St John’s, in Newfoundland, Canada, on Friday and the team planned to start the dive at 4am local time on Sunday as a “weather window” had opened up.

The father-of-two, who lives in the UAE, said he was “proud” to be joining OceanGate as a “mission specialist”, adding that the group included “a couple of legendary explorers”.

Action Aviation also tweeted on Sunday, saying: “The sub had a successful launch and Hamish is currently diving.”

A keen explorer, Mr Harding took part in Jeff Bezos’s fifth human spaceflight on Blue Origin last year.

Hamish Harding (second from right) took part in Blue Origin’s fifth human space flight last year Credit: Felix Kunze

Colonel Terry Virts, a retired Nasa astronaut with whom Mr Harding broke the Guinness world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the Earth via the North and South Poles by an aircraft, told The Telegraph that several vessels were on their way to attempt to rescue the submarine.

Col Virts said: “Exploration is what Hamish loves to do – he’s an explorer in his heart, and we’re all hopeful that he and the others can be rescued.”

Paul Henri Nargeole, the diver and French navy veteran known as “Mr Titanic”, is also feared to be aboard the Titan.

Each 10-day OceanGate Titanic expedition, which includes eight days at sea, sets off from St John’s. Every year it recruits six “mission specialists” to view the wreck, which lies about 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

1805 Titanic wreck along the transatlantic route

Those selected must be at least 18 and “be comfortable in dynamic environments where plans and timetables may change”. They must also have basic strength, balance, mobility and flexibility such as being able to climb a six-foot step ladder.

Previous mission specialists chosen to go on the trip include an actor, a chef, a banker and a videographer. The OceanGate website said the purpose of the expeditions was to “conduct a scientific and technological survey of the wreck”.

On Friday, OceanGate shared a picture of two groups of around two-dozen people smiling and wearing matching navy jackets.

The caption read: “It’s been an incredibly busy two weeks! Thank you to all of our dive teams who’ve joined us – here’s a look at our Mission 3 and Mission 4 crew.”

Chef Chelsea Kellogg went on the trip last year, when she shared a picture of herself on Instagram with the wreck visible in the background.

The caption read: “My lifelong dream of seeing the Titanic has come true... Thanks to the hard work of the Oceangate Expeditions team and Horizon Arctic crew we made it to the bow section of the wreck and we were able to explore and see some of the iconic parts of the ship.”

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2023-06-20 05:44:00Z
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