Sebastian Harris (Youngest Titanic Explorer) Biography, Parents, Age, Father, Mother, Siblings, and More

At age 13, Sebastian Harris made a voyage to the wreckage of the famous Titanic ship in 2005 making him the youngest person to ever visit the site.

On 18 June 2023, Titan, a submersible operated by OceanGate, an American tourism company, imploded during its descent in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 400 nautical miles (740 km) off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

The submersible, carrying five people, was part of a disaster tourism expedition to sightsee the wreck of the Titanic. Communication with Titan was lost 1 hour and 45 minutes into its dive to the wreck site. Authorities were alerted when it failed to resurface at the scheduled time later that day.

After a search lasting nearly 80 hours, a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) deployed from Canada’s Horizon Arctic vessel[1] discovered a debris field containing parts of Titan, about 500 metres (1,600 ft) from the bow of the Titanic. The search area was informed by the United States Navy’s sonar detection of an acoustic signature consistent with an implosion around the time communication with the submersible ceased. This suggested the pressure vessel had imploded while Titan was descending, resulting in the instantaneous death of all five occupants inside the submersible.

While it seemed to be the old who are allowed to visit the site, in 2005, a young boy named Sebastian Harris who was just 13 years old went on the exploration journey with his father. So, who is this Sebastian Harris, and who are his parents?

Who is Sebastian Harris?

Sebastian Harris is the world’s youngest person to ever visit the wreck of the famous Titanic ship in 2005 when he was just 13 years old.

Following the tragic 2023 Titan submersible incident was interviewed where he spoke about the dangers of the voyage, 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, Titanic expedition leader G. Michael Harris, in a Russian Mir II submersible. He recounted the life-threatening moment he experienced while onboard. 

Harris told The U.S. Sun he 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. 

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-breaking Titanic visitor 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.”

Currently, Sebastian is around 31 years old, possibly married with his own children. He has sisters but their details are unknown. Likewise, the name and details of his mother are unknown.

Who is G. Michael Harris, Sebastian Harris’s father?

G. Michael Harris is a world-renowned adventurer and explorer, leading multiple expeditions around the world, most notably his numerous treks to the wreck site of Titanic. Harris is more than just a man in search of adventure; he is also a husband, father, son, business owner, motivational speaker, and civic leader.

Born in Clearwater, Florida, Harris is the son of acclaimed documentary filmmaker and explorer, D. Michael Harris (‘Deadly Fathoms’, ‘Search for Titanic’, ‘In Search of Noah’s Ark’) who led the first three expeditions in search of Titanic during the early 1980s. Son G. Michael took the torch soon after and has spent the last 25 years cultivating his research, knowledge, and exploration of Titanic. He was the founder and former Chief Operating Officer of RMS Titanic, Inc., and led the largest expedition to the Titanic wreck site to date in August 2000, salvaging over 1,800 new artifacts and personally making more than 8 dives to the site, located at a depth of over 12,500 feet.

Mr. Harris also served as the principal of Worldwide Licensing and Merchandising, Inc, a privately-held company that owned and operated Titanic – The Experience, a 17,000 sq. foot attraction in Orlando, FL which features recreations of the Titanic and showcases artifacts and historical treasures from around the globe. Mr. Harris also holds the position of Chapter-Chairman of the Explorers Club and leads the Historic Preservation Office for Belleair, FL.

On Thursday, it was announced that the Titan submersible, which disappeared on June 17, was believed to have imploded, claiming the lives of passengers Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, pilot Hamish Harding, and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.