ORLANDO, Fla. — The company that oversees the artifacts at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition on International Drive and other locations across the country has released a statement, saying they are “devastated” at the death of one of its colleagues after a tourist sub imploded.
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Paul-Henri Nargeolet, the director of the underwater research program for RMS Titanic, Inc., is one of five people presumed dead aboard the missing submersible that vanished Sunday during a trip to see the wreckage of the Titanic.
“We are devastated at the confirmation that the debris found at the wreck site of the RMS TITANIC is that of the missing OceanGate submersible, Titan,” the Orlando exhibition shared in a Facebook post Thursday, attributed to Jessica Sanders, president of RMS Titanic, Inc. “Our hearts are with the families and friends of those aboard the submersible as we are collectively and individually mourning the loss of our long-term employee and colleague Paul Henri ‘PH’ Nargeolet. The maritime world has lost an iconic and inspirational leader in deep-sea exploration, and we have lost a dear and treasured friend.”
READ: Missing Titanic tourist sub: Titan suffered ‘catastrophic implosion,’ killing 5 onboard
The exhibition goes on to “ask for respect for the privacy of the families and our staff as we all try to come to terms with our loss.”
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RMS Titanic, Inc. was formed to explore the wreck of Titanic and its surrounding ocean areas, according to the organization’s website. It conducted eight research and recovery expeditions between 1987 and 2010, according to its website. The company says it has recovered more than 5,500 artifacts from the Titanic wreck site that have been viewed by more than 35 million individuals through RMS Titanic Inc’s Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, which has locations in Orlando and other major cities.
In a Facebook post from Tuesday, Sanders called Nargolet “a precious member of the RMS Titanic, Inc. family whose passion for Titanic and diving led him to compete over 35 submersible dives, more than anyone, and his knowledge of the wreck site is unparalleled.”
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