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Harrogate man signed up to go on doomed titanic sub but pulled out

Wednesday, 21 June 2023 03:00

61-year-old Chris Brown from Harrogate has revealed he had signed up to dive on the missing Titanic sub "Titan" before pulling out due to concerns.

Harrogate man signed up to go on doomed titanic sub but pulled out A 61-year-old man from Harrogate has revealed he had signed up to dive on the missing Titanic sub before pulling out due to concerns. Chris Brown paid a deposit for the mission to visit the wreck of the Titanic but believed the crew were “cutting too many corners.” He was due to go alongside his friend, 58-year-old Hamish Harding, who followed through with the excursion. A search is currently underway to find the 22ft mini sub which vanished on Sunday - and rescue bosses are concerned that the oxygen will run out at 11am tomorrow (Thursday). Harrogate resident Chris dropped out after noting the controls were like that of a “computer game” and questioned the quality of the technology and materials. [caption id="attachment_67688" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Harrogate's Chris Brown, pictured alongside Virgin billionaire Richard Branson.[/caption] The multi-millionaire digital marketing tycoon contacted OceanGate Expeditions via email and asked for a refund on the £80,000 trip. Chris said:

“I found out they used old scaffolding poles for the sub’s ballast — and its controls were based on computer game-style controllers. “If you’re trying to build your own submarine you could probably use old scaffold poles. But this was a commercial craft. “Eventually I emailed them and said, ‘I’m no longer able to go on this thing’. I asked for a refund after being less than convinced.”

Chris revealed he had felt further concern due to technical issues and delays, which left him questioning whether the firm was cutting corners. Searches are ongoing and experts have said the best hope is if the sub has managed to resurface and had yet to be found. A vast search area of 900 miles east of Cape Cod in the US is underway. Read more local stories from Your Harrogate here.

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