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Paul Henry Nargeolet, age 77, of New York City, lived in Litchfield County, in the town of Kent, for nearly a decade, according to ABC affiliate WTNH News 8.
The search for the submersible captivated the world as vessels from across the globe rushed to the scene to help search which was halted after debris was discovered Thursday, June 22. The Coast Guard says the five died instantly in a "catastrophic implosion" that shattered pressure hull.
Nargeolet, the director of the Underwater Research Program at Premier Exhibitions, RMS Titanic, -- which owns the salvage rights to the wreck -- is considered a Titanic expert.
The French native who remains a board member of the Kent Memorial Library, is remembered fondly in Kent as being a "nice man," who was dedicated to the library, News 8 reported.
"The Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic has deployed an ROV that has reached the sea floor and began its search for the missing sub," the Coast Guard said early Thursday.
Nargeolet, known as "Mr. Titanic," has visited the site of the Titanic dozens of times retrieving artifacts and studying the wreckage, said The New York Times.
He had also visited the site on previous OceanGate expeditions on the Titan, the newspaper reported.
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