The family of Hamish Harding, the British billionaire who is onboard the missing submersible that was journeying to the Titanic, have issued a statement.
The expedition, operated by OceanGate, set off on Sunday morning with the intention of diving to around 12,500 feet below surface level where the wreckage of the Titanic remains.
Around an hour and 45 minutes into the journey, the vessel stopped sending alerts to the surface, prompting fears that something had gone awry.
Following this, there has been no communication with the five people on board and fears are growing for their safety, as rescuers face a race against time due to the limited amount of oxygen onboard.
Harding, a British billionaire who was on board the vessel known as the Titan, had documented the days prior to the expedition with a degree of excitement.
A statement has been released via Mark Butler, the managing director of aircraft sales firm Action Aviation, where Harding is the chairman.
As cited by the Metro, Butler said: "Action Aviation herewith confirms that our esteemed Chairman, Hamish Harding, is currently on board the Titan Submersible at the Titanic site.
"Both the Harding family and the team at Action Aviation are very grateful for all the kind messages of concern and support from our friends and colleagues.
"We are thankful for the continued efforts of the authorities and companies that have stepped in to aid in the rescue efforts. We put great faith and trust in their expertise."
Butler went on to reveal that Harding is experienced when it comes to such deep sea dives: "Captain Hamish Harding, a licensed air transport pilot, a living legend of Aviation, inducted in 2022, a three Guinness World Records holder, an explorer and an entrepreneur, is an extraordinarily accomplished individual who has successfully undertaken challenging expeditions," he said.
Butler continued: "Including but not limited to One More Orbit project (the record-breaking circumnavigation of the world), a flight to Space with Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket as a Commercial Astronaut (NS-21 Mission) and the reintroduction of Cheetahs from Namibia to India."
The statement concluded: "He has travelled on a submersible to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench and has been to the South Pole a number of times.
"The team at Action Aviation are extremely proud of Hamish and we look forward to welcoming him home. The Harding Family and Action Aviation politely request privacy at this time."
The search for the vessel is currently ongoing, as Sky News reports that rescue operations are now taking place in deeper waters to try and locate those on board.
Joining Harding in the five-man sub is Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, along with two crewmembers Stockton Rush, founder and chief executive officer of OceanGate and French pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet.
Titanic historian, Dr Rudi Newman, told Sky News that public dives into the wreckage are a fairly new idea and that although interest in the historical crash site is high, the environment is "hostile".
Our thoughts remain with all those on board the submersible.
