The youngest person to explore theTitanicwreckage is speaking out about the dangers of the voyage following theTitansubmersibletragedy, revealing he “fell unconscious” during his journey in 2005.Sebastian Harris was just 13 years old when he made the 12,500-foot dive to the site with his father,Titanicexpedition leader G. Michael Harris, in a Russian Mir II submersible. He recounted the life-threatening moment he experienced while onboard.AP Photo/Steve Nesius, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institu/AFP via GettyHarris toldThe U.S. Sunhe lost consciousness during the journey — which took 12 hours — following “a small safety issue. “Suddenly our oxygen levels started to drop, and I fell unconscious while we were diving down,” he said.Harris broke the record of the youngest Titanic wreckage visitor at 13 years old in 2005.AP Photo/Steve NesiusFortunately, Harris’ dad and his fellow passengers weren’t affected — “otherwise it may have been fatal,” he noted — and he quickly regained consciousness. “Thankfully we had oxygen meters inside the sub that were showing lower oxygen levels than normal. So we cranked it up, and then I was back in the game,” he recalled.The record-breakingTitanicvisitor said these dangers “happen with regularity” on the wreckage voyage, as he warned of the risks of the trip. “The certification and safety of these vehicles is so important,” he explained. “These activities are inherently dangerous.”Reflecting on his perilous moment in the sub, he added, “A 13-year-old doesn’t really have a sense of their own morality, so I was blissfully ignorant to a degree, but in different circumstances that could have ended in tragedy.“On Thursday, it was announced that theTitansubmersible, which disappeared on June 17, was believed to have imploded, claiming the lives of passengersShahzada and Suleman Dawood, OceanGate CEOStockton Rush, pilotHamish HardingandTitanicexpertPaul-Henri Nargeolet.The five victims of the Titan submersible implosion.JOEL SAGET,HANDOUT/Dirty Dozen Productions/OceanGat/AFP via Getty ImagesHarris’ warning about the risks of theTitanictrip comes after Las Vegas financier Jay Bloom and his son Sean Bloom told PEOPLE thatthey declined to take the journeyover concerns about the vessel’s safety.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“I told [my dad], ‘Dude, this submarine cannot survive going that deep in the ocean,’ " Sean, 20, said. “I was worried because I didn’t think the submarine could withstand that kind of pressure and it wasn’t meant to go that far.”He and his friend Simon — who was also concerned about the safety of theTitan —began looking much harder at the actual submersible they would be in for the almost three-mile dive into the icy ocean off the coast of Newfoundland.“That is a small submarine, with five people crammed inside,” Sean said. “It just felt super unsafe. Something was telling me this was not the move.”
The youngest person to explore theTitanicwreckage is speaking out about the dangers of the voyage following theTitansubmersibletragedy, revealing he “fell unconscious” during his journey in 2005.
Sebastian Harris was just 13 years old when he made the 12,500-foot dive to the site with his father,Titanicexpedition leader G. Michael Harris, in a Russian Mir II submersible. He recounted the life-threatening moment he experienced while onboard.
AP Photo/Steve Nesius, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institu/AFP via Getty
Harris toldThe U.S. Sunhe lost consciousness during the journey — which took 12 hours — following “a small safety issue. “Suddenly our oxygen levels started to drop, and I fell unconscious while we were diving down,” he said.
Harris broke the record of the youngest Titanic wreckage visitor at 13 years old in 2005.AP Photo/Steve Nesius
AP Photo/Steve Nesius
Fortunately, Harris’ dad and his fellow passengers weren’t affected — “otherwise it may have been fatal,” he noted — and he quickly regained consciousness. “Thankfully we had oxygen meters inside the sub that were showing lower oxygen levels than normal. So we cranked it up, and then I was back in the game,” he recalled.
The record-breakingTitanicvisitor said these dangers “happen with regularity” on the wreckage voyage, as he warned of the risks of the trip. “The certification and safety of these vehicles is so important,” he explained. “These activities are inherently dangerous.”
Reflecting on his perilous moment in the sub, he added, “A 13-year-old doesn’t really have a sense of their own morality, so I was blissfully ignorant to a degree, but in different circumstances that could have ended in tragedy.”
On Thursday, it was announced that theTitansubmersible, which disappeared on June 17, was believed to have imploded, claiming the lives of passengersShahzada and Suleman Dawood, OceanGate CEOStockton Rush, pilotHamish HardingandTitanicexpertPaul-Henri Nargeolet.
The five victims of the Titan submersible implosion.JOEL SAGET,HANDOUT/Dirty Dozen Productions/OceanGat/AFP via Getty Images
JOEL SAGET,HANDOUT/Dirty Dozen Productions/OceanGat/AFP via Getty Images
Harris’ warning about the risks of theTitanictrip comes after Las Vegas financier Jay Bloom and his son Sean Bloom told PEOPLE thatthey declined to take the journeyover concerns about the vessel’s safety.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“I told [my dad], ‘Dude, this submarine cannot survive going that deep in the ocean,’ " Sean, 20, said. “I was worried because I didn’t think the submarine could withstand that kind of pressure and it wasn’t meant to go that far.”
He and his friend Simon — who was also concerned about the safety of theTitan —began looking much harder at the actual submersible they would be in for the almost three-mile dive into the icy ocean off the coast of Newfoundland.
“That is a small submarine, with five people crammed inside,” Sean said. “It just felt super unsafe. Something was telling me this was not the move.”
source: people.com
