Cambridge college holds underwater themed ball as alumnus is trapped in missing Titanic submersible
A Cambridge college has defended itself after going ahead with an under-the-sea-themed ball - while an alumnus was trapped in the missing Titanic submersible.
The University of Cambridge's Pembroke College held its May Ball on Wednesday night with the theme Nautilus: Into the Depths.
But the theme drew criticism and bewilderment from students - as its alumnus, British billionaire Hamish Harding, is trapped underwater.
Defending the decision, the college said: “We are aware of the worrying news about Hamish Harding and sincerely hope that he and the others on board will be found safe and well.
"The May Ball theme was developed many months ago. Our thoughts go out to the Harding family and all the affected families at this very difficult time.”
Mr Harding is one of five people who were in OceanGate Expeditions' submersible vessel, that went missing after going to explore the ruins of the Titanic - about 2.5 miles below sea level.
One Twitter user posted: "Presented without comment: this year's submarine-themed Pembroke May Ball, in honour of... wait for it... the actual submarine guy, who is now at the bottom of the ocean."
Another, who claimed to be a Pembroke College student, said: "Shame that what was an incredibly fun and well-organised event which a committee have spent close to a year tirelessly putting together is going to be overshadowed like this. Either way, I had a lot of fun."
He added that organisers had to cancel promotional material that featured a kraken pulling a submarine into the depths due to insensitivity.
The May Ball’s website has now been taken down.
Mr Harding, 58, graduated from Cambridge in 1987 with a degree in natural sciences and chemical engineering.
Based in Dubai, he is the founder of investment company Action Group and chairman of Action Aviation, a private plane firm.
He has been described as an explorer. In June 2022, he went into space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.
On social media at the weekend, he said he was "proud to finally announce" he would be aboard the mission to the wreck of the Titanic - the luxury ocean liner which hit an iceberg and sank in 1912, killing more than 1,500 people.
As of Thursday afternoon, the US Coast Guard said the hunt for the missing submersible was "still an active search and rescue".
The estimated deadline for oxygen running out on board the vessel passed earlier in the day.
Officials approximated that "breathable air" on board Titan would run out by 7.18am Eastern time, which is 12.18pm UK time.
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