Paul-Henri Nargeolet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul-Henri Nargeolet
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| Born | 2 March 1946 Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Haute-Savoie, France
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| Died | 18 June 2023 (aged 77) North Atlantic Ocean
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| Cause of death | Implosion of Titan submersible |
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| Spouse(s) |
Michele Marsh
(died 2017) |
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| Allegiance | France |
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French Navy |
| Years of service | 1964–1986 |
| Rank | Frigate captain |
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Paul-Henri Nargeolet (born March 2, 1946 – died June 18, 2023) was a famous French deep sea explorer. He was also a top expert on the Titanic shipwreck. People often called him "Mr. Titanic" because of his deep knowledge. Sadly, Nargeolet was one of five people who died when the submersible Titan broke apart underwater. This happened on June 18, 2023, near the Titanic wreck.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Paul-Henri Nargeolet was born on March 2, 1946, in Chamonix, France. He spent 13 years living in Casablanca, Morocco. When he was 16, he moved to Paris to finish his studies.
He was married to an American TV reporter named Michele Marsh. She passed away in 2017. Later, he reconnected with a childhood friend who became his partner. At the time of his death, he lived in Pawling, New York, in the United States.
Exploring the Deep Sea: Paul-Henri Nargeolet's Career
Nargeolet started his career in the French Navy in 1964. He worked there until 1986. He was an officer who specialized in clearing underwater mines. He also focused on diving and working deep underwater.
In the 1970s, he led a special group of divers. Their job was to find and remove mines underwater. In the 1980s, he joined the Undersea Intervention Group. Here, he piloted special submarines that could work deep in the ocean. During this time, he traveled worldwide. He helped find French planes and helicopters that had crashed into the sea. He also recovered people and weapons from them. He even found an old Roman shipwreck 70 meters deep. He also located a DHC-5 Buffalo plane that crashed in 1979. It had 12 people on board. Nargeolet retired from the Navy as a frigate captain.
Working with IFREMER
In 1986, the French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER) asked Nargeolet to dive to the Titanic wreck. He was very excited to go. With IFREMER, Nargeolet piloted dives to the Titanic site in 1987, 1993, 1994, and 1996. His 1987 trip was the first time anyone collected items from the shipwreck.
During his missions with IFREMER, Nargeolet found many aircraft damaged at sea. On May 15, 1993, he was diving in a submarine called the Nautile. By chance, he discovered a ship called La Lune. This ship had sunk in 1664 near Toulon, France.
Leading at Michigan State University
Starting in 1994, Nargeolet became the director of a center at Michigan State University. This center was called the Center for Maritime & Underwater Resource Management (CMURM).
Making Underwater Films with Aqua+
From 1996 to 2003, Nargeolet worked with a company called Aqua+. This company was part of Canal+. Their goal was to make films underwater. During his time there, he led underwater missions using two submarines.
Recovering Titanic Artifacts
In August 2007, a company called RMS Titanic Inc. hired Nargeolet. This company organizes traveling exhibits. They asked him to find the RMS Carpathia. The Carpathia was the ship that rescued Titanic survivors. But it was sunk by a torpedo in 1918.
Nargeolet worked with RMS Titanic to find and recover items from the Titanic. He was the Director of the Underwater Research Program. He used remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for his work. He also piloted dives to the wreck site himself. He recovered nearly 6,000 items over 35 dives. In 2010, he helped create a 3D map of the wreck. This helped them see how much the ship was breaking down.
Also in 2010, he helped search for the flight recorder of Air France Flight 447. This plane crashed the year before while flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.
Other Contributions
As a Titanic expert, Nargeolet helped create two documentaries. These were Titanic: The Legend Lives On (1994) and Deep Inside the Titanic (1999). In 2022, he wrote a book called Dans les profondeurs du Titanic. The book shares stories from his many expeditions.
The Titan Expedition and His Death
On June 18, 2023, Nargeolet was on board the Titan submersible. This vehicle was owned by OceanGate. The goal was to visit the Titanic wreckage. However, the Titan lost contact with its support ship, MV Polar Prince. Many countries, including the United States, Canada, and France, launched search and rescue missions.
On June 22, a field of debris was found. It was about 1,600 feet from the front part of the Titanic. OceanGate then announced that Nargeolet and the four other people on board were sadly lost. The United States Coast Guard later confirmed that the debris showed the submersible had broken apart. This meant the vehicle had imploded underwater.
Images for kids
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Paul-Henri Nargeolet's signature
See also
In Spanish: Paul-Henri Nargeolet para niños
