Titanic expedition leader and explorer G. Michael Harris has worked with Paul-Henry Nargeolet, and two other victims in the OceanGate submersible. His biography is explored below.
On June 18, 2023, the world was hit with tragic news after Titan, a submersible operated by OceanGate, an American tourism company was declared missing.
This was a sad story for five prominent businessmen who were on an adventurous journey to have been in such a heartwrenching incident.
On Thursday (June 22), it was announced that the Titan submersible, which disappeared, was believed to have imploded during its descent in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 400 nautical miles (740 km) off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, claiming the lives of passengers Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, pilot Hamish Harding, and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.
G. Michael Harris, a Titanic expedition leader, who claims to know three of the five people on the missing submersible, asserted that he is not optimistic they will be rescued even before they were announced dead. But who is Michael Harris? Read on for more information about him.
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.
He was born in Clearwater, Florida and attended Dunedin High School from 1979 to 1982. He proceeded to study AS, Professional Pilot Technologies from 1993 to 1995 at the St. Petersburg College
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.
Is G. Michael Harris married with kids?
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.
Yes, G. Michael Harris is a married man and has a nice family. His wife and children love to live a private life as their names, pictures, and even details are rare to find on the internet.
However, his son made headlines when he was adjourned the youngest person to have explored the Titanic Wreck.
Who is Sebastian Harris, G. Michael Harris’s son?
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.
Image Source: Mirror
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.
What did G. Michael Harris say about the OceanGate submersible incident?
The Irish Examiner revealed he knew three of the five victims in the incident. Per Harris, Nargeolet has “spent more time than any other” at the wreckage of the Titanic. Nargeolet ominously told the outlet in 2019, “If you are 11m or 11km down, if something bad happens, the result is the same.” He further noted, “When you’re in very deep water, you’re dead before you realize that something is happening, so it’s just not a problem.”
While rescuers were desperately trying to locate the submarine, G Michael Harris believed his friends in the vessel have already met their fates a lot sooner. The seasoned Titanic diver, who has made multiple visits to the wreck to recover artifacts, recently revealed that he has “unconfirmed reports” that three people he knows are onboard the Titan, including one of his former sub pilots.
Speaking to Fox News host Jesse Watters, he expressed fears about what could have happened to his friends aboard the submarine.
“Worst situation is something happened to the hull and our fear is that it imploded at around 3,200 meters,” Harris said. When asked if there was anything the Navy could do at the moment, Harris directly responded “No.” “I don’t see anything that can happen at this point. When you are talking 6,000 pounds per square inch, it is a dangerous environment,” the diver noted.
He said there was oxygen on board and CO2 scrubbers, but ultimately there was no magic solution. “Just not feeling good about it,” Harris remarked, adding, “When we deploy it’s usually a two-and-a-half hour drop down to the wreck site itself. We go down 3,980 meters. Once we get down there we begin our grid searches and our decay and everything that goes on with Titanic.”
What is G. Michael Harris’s net worth?
The then Belleair resident, Harris was sued over a past-due loan from a friend, per Tampabay.
According to a lawsuit filed earlier this month in Pinellas County, Harris borrowed $25,000 from county resident Douglas Prescott in mid-2014. The loan came with the stipulation that the money would be repaid within 90 days, plus 7 percent interest.
As collateral, Harris agreed to offer several artifacts salvaged from the wreckage site of the Titanic. These included a 1912 gold coin, a 1902 $5 bill, another $5 bill and an 8-pound piece of coal.
Harris was the chief operating officer of Clearwater company RMS Titanic Inc., which set out in the early 2000s to recover artifacts from the famous shipwreck. The company faced significant setbacks, including a court ban on cutting into the shipwreck or removing artifacts, equipment difficulties and repeated interference from Hurricane Alberto. RMS Titanic was eventually only allowed to take artifacts that fell out of the shipwreck.
So, how much is G. Michael Harris worth right now? Due to his past struggles, owing a friend about $25,000, Titanic expedition leader and explorer G. Michael Harris currently has an estimate net worth between $5 million and $10 million.
His fortune comes from his company CEO/President at GEX, LLC. He is the founder and owner of RMS Titanic, Inc. and Titanic the Experience, per his LinkedIn.
He is also the Titanic Expedition Leader, who has have spent over 135 hours at 12,850′ exploring and salvaging the wreck of the RMS Titanic in the Russian MIR Submersibles. Up until last year I owned my own Titanic Exhibit in Orlando, Florida that I designed and created in 1999.