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An experienced diver who was due to go on the missing submersible pulled out of the Titanic tour just days before and is now helping with rescue efforts.
Lawyer David Concannon has almost four decades of experience as a diver and has previously explored numerous shipwrecks as a 'New Jersey wreck diver'.
In a post on social media, Concannon explained that he had been due to go on the missing Titanic tourist submersible but pulled out because of a work-related emergency.
Concannon went on to say that he had since been asked to help with the rescue efforts and ‘immediately agreed’.
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He explained: "Dear Friends, Re: Titanic. As I posted last week I was supposed to be on this expedition and, indeed, on this dive, but I had to cancel to attend to another urgent client matter.
"Last night, I was called and asked to provide whatever assistance I could to ensure the safe return of everyone in the sub. Of course, I immediately agreed.
"I know you are concerned for the safety of me and everyone at sea, but PLEASE STOP calling, texting, messaging, sending carrier pigeons and all other forms of communication during this critical time. You are interfering with more important communications that need to be made to resolve this situation as quickly and as safely as possible. Thank you!”
The submersible, which disappeared on Sunday (18 June), is used to take tourists to view the wreck of the Titanic almost 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.
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It had five people on board when it went missing - among those confirmed onboard are British billionaire Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19.
OceanGate Expeditions, which owns the missing vessel, has released a statement to say: “Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families.”
At a press conference yesterday (19 June) Rear Admiral John Mauger said the vessel had been designed with a 96 hour ‘emergency capability’, which means it has oxygen reserves that will last 96 hours.
"We anticipate there is somewhere between 70 and the full 96 hours available at this point."
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Frank Owen, a former submarine officer, warned the BBC that the challenge facing those on board is keeping their cool and not panicking and using up more oxygen.
He said that while there are supplies for up to 96 hours, if ‘they start panicking or moving around too much they could exceed those rates’.
Claire Reid