Friend of ‘Titan’ Sub Victim Paul-Henri Nargeolet Says He Died ‘In a Place He So Loved’

'Titanic' explorer Larry Daley is mourning the loss of friend Nargeolet, 77, who died onboard the 'Titan' submersible

Titanic explorer Larry Daley is reflecting on the loss of his friend Paul-Henri Nargeolet, one of the five victims who died onboard the Titan submersible.

Daley, a Titanic explorer from St. John's, Newfoundland — where the ill-fated Titan expedition began on June 18 — described Nargeolet’s death as “symbolic” in a new interview with the BBC. The two friends had shared a beer together and reminisced just two weeks ago.

"We were just talking about the old times," he recalled to the BBC of his last moments with the 77-year-old French sea expert. "He lost his life in a place he so loved, exploring the Titanic. It's kind of symbolic, in a way," Daley said.

Nargeolet began his career in the French Navy and served from 1964 to 1986, he went on to complete over 35 dives to the Titanic wreckage site. He died along with Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, OceanGate announced on Thursday afternoon. The group had set off on their journey from St John's in the province of Newfoundland, the oldest seaport in North America.

Related: Explorers Mourn Friends Who Died on 'Titan' Sub — and Say 'Loss of Life' Was 'Only a Matter of Time'

While Daley, who traveled to the Titanic wreckage site with director James Cameron in 2003, shared that it will take time to come to terms with losing his friend, he added that the tragic Titan incident hasn’t dampened his zest to explore. "We're going to keep exploring — that's what human nature is,” he told the BBC.

His words come as friends and family of the victims of the Titan submersible implosion have begun to share their shock and sadness at the tragic event.

Renowned explorer Victor Vescovo remembered Nargeolet and Harding. “Paul-Henri Nargeolet was such a charming soul,” Vescovo told PEOPLE. “It’s very strange for me to be talking about him in the past tense. But he was so friendly and accepting of everyone. He also had a very strong core."

"He was an extremely accomplished diver and submersible operator. He did many, many dangerous things, including removing unexploded ordinance from the sea floor left from World War II, but he handled these missions with such a French “Je ne sais quois,” type of attitude," Vescovo adds. "He was the kind of Frenchman that you see in the movies, where risk was just something you accepted with a glass of nice Bordeaux.”

The pair worked closely together on Vescovo’s Five Deeps Expedition, where Vescovo traveled to the deepest parts of all five oceans — the only explorer in the world to ever have done so.

Related: 5 'Titan' Sub Passengers Are Dead, OceanGate Says: They 'Have Sadly Been Lost'

Rob McCallum, another one of the world’s most accomplished deep-sea explorers who also worked on the Five Deeps Expedition, agreed that Nargeolet was one of the finest people he’d ever sailed with.

“I had the privilege to work and sail with PH Nargeolet for over 20 years,” McCallum told PEOPLE. “We have sailed to Titanic together three times, and he was a key part of my team (Safety Auditor/Advisor) for the year long ‘Five Deeps Expedition.”

He added, “That relationship brought us together for the successful search for AirFrance 447. PH loved being at sea, and lived for being part of a well-oiled team. He considered each expedition a chance to explore, and each expedition team his ’sea family’. There are many former crew members who will raise a glass at sunset for a fond shipmate now at rest.”

OceanGate paid tribute to their CEO and co-founder Stockton and the other passengers last week, in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

"These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.”

The family of Shahaza and Suleman, who also died in the Titan submersible, paid tribute to their loved ones. In a moving homage to Dawood, 48, and his son, Suleman, 19, the family said in a statement Friday that they “mourn the tragic loss” with "profound sorrow" and went on to praise the close bond between the pair.

The relationship between Pakistani-British businessman Shahzada and university student Suleman “was a joy to behold; they were each other’s greatest supporters and cherished a shared passion for adventure and exploration of all the world had to offer them,” the statement issued to PEOPLE read. The father and son leave behind Christine (wife and mother) and Alina (daughter and sister).

The family of British billionaire Hamish Harding paid tribute to the pilot following the news and called him a “loving husband” and “dedicated father.”

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“Today, we are united in grief with the other families who have also lost their loved ones on the Titan submersible,” his family and Action Aviation, the global sales company he was the chairman of, shared in a statement to PEOPLE.

“Hamish Harding was a loving husband to his wife and a dedicated father to his two sons, whom he loved deeply. To his team in Action Aviation, he was a guide, an inspiration, a support, and a Living Legend.”  They continued that the 58-year-old “lived his life for his family” and for “the next adventure.”

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