The senator representing Nigeria's Delta North state, Ned Nwoko, has expressed his grief over the loss of his close friend and business partner, Hamish Harding, who died alongside four others during a submarine expedition to visit the ruins of the Titanic ship.

He said he would have been part of the trip because he was invited, noting that in 2020 he and Harding embarked on an expedition to Antarctica together.

He shared on his official Instagram account, “Nwoko shared, “I have lost a very dear friend and business partner, Captain Hermish Harding. We both went on a very dangerous expedition to Southpole Antarctica a few years back. He was a Gulfstream pilot who flew across the world in a record-breaking expedition by the Guinness world record for circumnavigation of the earth some years ago.

“He descended into the Mariana. He also invited me on his space shuttle last year and this very Titan ill-fated adventure but I was tied down with national duties. Above all, he was a partner on the various research into eradication of malaria in Africa project. He was very enthusiastic about it and always gave his support at every given opportunity.

“His last message to me was this last Sunday when he told me they were ready to dive into the Titanic if the weather permits. He loved adventure and challenges. My heart bleeds for his dear wife and kids who have become family friends over the years. We will surely miss his wealth of experience.”

Nwoko noted that his recent inauguration as one of the senators of the 10th National Assembly prevented him from joining Harding on the ill-fated Titanic expedition, which ended tragically.

Harding, along with four others, lost their lives in the submarine.

The casualties included OceanGate founder, Stockton Rush; French diver, Paul-Henri Nargeolet; Pakistani businessman, Shahzada Dawood, and his 19-year-old son, Suleman.

The United States Coast Guard confirmed their death after days of searching, as the small vessel transporting them to the 111-year-old Titanic wreckage site suffered a catastrophic implosion.