Kriti Mehrotra
While the June 18, 2023, implosion of the Titan submersible was a tragedy for the entire deep-sea exploration industry, it was undeniably much worse for the families of those inside. There were actually 5 innocent individuals who lost their lives, as explored in Netflix’s ‘Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster,’ amongst whom was billionaire businessman and adventurer Hamish Harding. He had traveled to space, led underwater dives, done several expeditions to the South Pole, and circumnavigated Earth in record time, yet his loved one could never have imagined he wouldn’t return home one day.
Hamish Harding Had a Big, Blended Family
Although not much regarding London native George Hamish Livingston Harding’s (or simply Hamish Harding) romance with Linda Szasz is known as of writing, we do know they were head over heels in love. According to reports, it was around the 2000s when they first came across one another, just for there to be such a true spark between them that they soon became romantically involved despite their differences. We specify this because while he was already a successful businessman by this point, she was a single mother of two young kids – a daughter named Lauren and a son named Brian.
The family has never actually opened up about their dynamics, but it appears as if Hamish intentionally connected with Linda’s children once they became serious, since he knew they came as a package. He reportedly not only provided but also cared for them in every way that matters, which didn’t waver for a second even after the couple welcomed kids of their own – sons Rory and Giles. In other words, they were a true blended family of 6 who seemingly all resided together in his base of Dubai, UAE, until the stepchildren ultimately grew up and chose to pave their own path.
Hamish subsequently garnered more and more success with each passing year, yet he somehow managed to find a way to balance his work, his family, and his adventures without neglecting anything. He even showed this off on his social media profiles, which made it clear that while Linda preferred to keep well away from the limelight, she unwaveringly supported him from the sidelines. It’s also imperative to note that Giles shared his passion for exploration, so the young man even accompanied his father on several risky yet adrenaline-pumping as well as exciting endeavors. These include an expedition to the South Pole, a dive to Challenger Deep, and a trip around the world to support his dad.
Hamish Harding’s Family Prefers to Lead a Quiet Life Today
When OceanGate’s Titan submersible suddenly stopped responding to any communication while en route to the Titanic wreck on the afternoon of June 18, 2023, what ensued was pure chaos. It was only later that it was confirmed that the vessel had imploded, immediately killing all 5 passengers inside – Hamish, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French Titanic expert and underwater explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and Shahzada’s 19-year-old son Sulaiman Dawood. By this point, though, the Dubai-based British billionaire businessman’s stepson, Brian, had released a statement confirming that he was missing and the family was praying for his welfare.
— Action Aviation (@actionaviation) June 22, 2023
Brian later received a lot of backlash because he attended a concert the day after the fateful incident, but he defended himself, stating: “It might be distasteful… but my family would want me to be at the Blink-182 show as it’s my favorite band and music helps me in difficult times!” However, his sister, half-siblings, and mother were quiet until they had some confirmed details, following which they released a formal statement with Hamish’s aircraft brokerage firm, Action Aviation. It read, in part, “Hamish Harding was a loving husband to his wife and a dedicated father… he was a guide, an inspiration, a support, and a Living Legend… What he achieved in his lifetime was truly remarkable, and if we can take any small consolation from this tragedy, it’s that we lost him doing what he loved.”
The family then asked for privacy as they tried to come to terms with their loss, and since then, most of them have preferred to remain far away from the spotlight. While Linda continues to maintain her distance from the public eye, her teenage sons, Rory and Giles, have now also decided to follow in her footsteps over safety concerns. In fact, Giles has since even deleted the separate social media account he used to run under the name Giles Explores, where he used to document his adventures with his father. However, it does appear as if they likely still reside in Dubai, whereas Lauren is currently based in the US, where she serves as a teacher. Last but not least, having managed to turn his passion for all kinds of music into his profession, sports enthusiast Brian Szasz is now an Audio Engineer in San Diego, California, something he is incredibly proud of.
Read More: Where is Paul-Henri Nargeolet’s Family Now?
