To secure a place on OceanGate’s Titan submersible for a chance to make the 3,800m descent to the wreckage of the RMS Titanic in a remote corner of the Atlantic, passengers had to pay $250,000.

A bleak winter in Newfoundland, Canada, from where the American firm launches its missions, meant all prior attempts at diving this year were abandoned. But early on Sunday morning, after a break in the weather, the company’s Titan submersible was preparing to go under the surface 9am local time.

Although large compared with other deep-sea submersibles, at 22ft long, Titan had room for five people, including a pilot. Here we look at who was on board.

Hamish Harding, 58, a billionaire entrepreneur and investor, was a seasoned explorer who boasts

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