Paul Henri Nargeolet is a well-known French deep-sea explorer and expert on the Titanic. With his extensive experience in exploring the depths of the ocean, he has become famous in his home country.
Born on March 2, 1946, in France, Nargeolet has dedicated himself to studying and investigating the Titanic shipwreck, making an impressive 35+ dives to its resting place.
He has gained the title of “Mr. Titanic” for his remarkable knowledge and expertise in this field. Nargeolet has held the position of Director of the Underwater Research Program at Premier Exhibitions, RMS Titanic, Inc., since April 2007.
In this role, he has played a crucial part in leading underwater expeditions to study the Titanic wreckage.
However, news recently emerged that Nargeolet and four other crew members have gone missing during their exploration of the famous shipwreck in a submersible.
Despite his notable accomplishments, it is surprising to discover that Paul Henri Nargeolet does not have a Wikipedia page, which has only served to intensify curiosity about his life and background.
He has deliberately chosen to keep his personal life out of the public eye, showing a preference for avoiding media attention. As a result, there is no available information about his parents or siblings, as he strives to maintain a low-profile existence.
Paul’s Net Worth: How much money does he own?
Paul-Henri Nargeolet is a wealthy individual with a net worth of approximately $1.5 billion. He accumulated his considerable wealth through his notable career as the Director of the Underwater Research Program at Premier Exhibitions, RMS Titanic, Inc. Aside from this role, he also earns money from other business ventures.
Nargeolet’s professional journey started soon after he finished his education. Initially, he held various positions in the French Navy for over 20 years, from September 1964 to April 1986. During this time, he served as Commander, Sub Pilot, EOD, Ship Captain, Clearance Diver, and Deep Diver.
After his naval career, Nargeolet worked for nearly a decade, from April 1986 to January 1996, as the Director of DESM, Deep Diving Equipment at IFREMER. Following that, he joined Aqua+, a subsidiary of Canal+, where he served as an Executive Director for eight years until December 2003.
In addition, Nargeolet worked as a Consultant for over three years, from January 2004 to March 2007. He also had the opportunity to work as the Director of CMURM for a period of one year from 2015 to 2016.
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Paul Henry’s Professional Career
Nargeolet started his career in the French Navy, where he worked as an officer specializing in activities like clearing mines, diving, and conducting deep underwater operations from 1964 to 1986. In the 1970s, he was given the responsibility of leading the Groupement de Plongeurs Démineurs de Cherbourg, a team focused on locating and disabling submerged mines.
During the 1980s, he joined the Underwater Intervention Group (GISMER) and operated submarines for various missions. One of his notable tasks was retrieving sunken French planes and helicopters from different parts of the world, along with the people and weapons associated with them.
In the course of this work, he made significant discoveries, such as a Roman shipwreck found at a depth of 70 meters. Additionally, he successfully located a DHC-5 Buffalo aircraft that had crashed in 1979 with 12 individuals on board, including several members of the Mauritanian government.
June 18, 2023 : What Happened to Mr. Titanic?
Paul Henri Nargeolet possesses a calm and even cheerful attitude when discussing the risks involved in his work. With a jolly chuckle, the 73-year-old former French Naval Captain points out that whether you are 11 meters or 11 kilometers beneath the surface, the consequences of something going wrong remain the same.
On June 18th, the Titan submarine embarked on a voyage to explore the sunken Titanic ship, which sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean. Unlike regular submarines, the Titan can resurface, but it relies on its mothership, the Polar Prince, to guide it back from the ocean floor.
However, during the recent expedition, the Titan lost contact with the Polar Prince, prompting a search operation by the Coast Guard. The submarine had five people on board, including Nargeolet, the CEO of OceanGate Stockton Rush, British businessman Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his teenage son, Suleman.
At the beginning of the voyage, the Titan had enough oxygen to last for 96 hours. According to the U.S. Coast Guard’s estimation, it likely ran out of oxygen in the early morning hours of June 22nd. Sadly, the Coast Guard confirmed the deaths of all five passengers during a press conference on June 22nd.
The vessel had imploded, leading to a catastrophic event. The Coast Guard emphasized the harsh and unforgiving nature of the deep-sea environment and stated that the debris found was consistent with a vessel implosion.
