A small submersible that went missing off the coast of Indonesia on Monday had six passengers on board, including a renowned Titanic expert, a world-record holding adventurer and two members of one of Pakistan’s wealthiest families.
The submersible, named Nemo, was conducting a dive to explore the wreckage of the USS Houston, a World War II cruiser that sank in 1942. The vessel was supposed to resurface at 5 p.m. local time, but failed to make contact with its support ship.
The Indonesian navy launched a search and rescue operation, but so far has not found any trace of the sub or its occupants. The navy said it was possible that the sub had suffered a technical malfunction or had been dragged by strong currents.
The passengers on the sub were:
- David Concannon, a lawyer and explorer who has led several expeditions to the Titanic and other shipwrecks. He is also a trustee of The Explorers Club, a prestigious organization of adventurers and scientists.
- Richard Garriott, a video game developer and entrepreneur who holds the Guinness World Record for being the first second-generation astronaut. He paid $30 million to fly to the International Space Station in 2008. He is also a member of The Explorers Club.
- Shahbaz Taseer and Shehryar Taseer, sons of Salman Taseer, a former governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province who was assassinated in 2011 by his own bodyguard for opposing blasphemy laws. The Taseer family owns several media and business conglomerates in Pakistan.
- Michael McDowell, a marine archaeologist and documentary filmmaker who has worked on projects involving the Titanic, the Bismarck and ancient shipwrecks in the Mediterranean.
- Timothy Akers, a retired U.S. Navy officer and an expert on underwater warfare. He was serving as the pilot of the submersible.
The Nemo is a three-person submersible that can dive up to 305 meters (1,000 feet) deep. It is owned by OceanGate Expeditions, a company that offers tours of historic and natural underwater sites. The company said it was cooperating with the Indonesian authorities and hoped for a positive outcome.
