Youngest Person to Explore 'Titanic' Site Details 'Safety Issues': 'I Fell Unconscious'

Sebastian Harris was 13 years old when he made a voyage to the wreckage of the famous ship in 2005

The youngest person to explore the Titanic wreckage is speaking out about the dangers of the voyage following the Titan submersible tragedy, revealing he “fell unconscious” during his journey in 2005.

Sebastian Harris was just 13 years old when he made the 12,500-foot dive to the site with his father, Titanic expedition leader G. Michael Harris, in a Russian Mir II submersible. He recounted the life-threatening moment he experienced while onboard.

Harris told The U.S. Sun he lost consciousness during the journey — which took 12 hours — following "a small safety issue. "Suddenly our oxygen levels started to drop, and I fell unconscious while we were diving down,” he said.

Fortunately, Harris’ dad and his fellow passengers weren’t affected — “otherwise it may have been fatal,” he noted — and he quickly regained consciousness. "Thankfully we had oxygen meters inside the sub that were showing lower oxygen levels than normal. So we cranked it up, and then I was back in the game,” he recalled.

Related: 'Titan' Family Tragedy Averted Due to Son’s Warnings About Safety of Sub

The record-breaking Titanic visitor said these dangers “happen with regularity” on the wreckage voyage, as he warned of the risks of the trip. “The certification and safety of these vehicles is so important,” he explained. "These activities are inherently dangerous.”

Reflecting on his perilous moment in the sub, he added, “A 13-year-old doesn't really have a sense of their own morality, so I was blissfully ignorant to a degree, but in different circumstances that could have ended in tragedy."

On Thursday, it was announced that the Titan submersible, which disappeared on June 17, was believed to have imploded, claiming the lives of passengers Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, pilot Hamish Harding and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

Harris’ warning about the risks of the Titanic trip comes after Las Vegas financier Jay Bloom and his son Sean Bloom told PEOPLE that they declined to take the journey over concerns about the vessel's safety.

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“I told [my dad], ‘Dude, this submarine cannot survive going that deep in the ocean,’ " Sean, 20, said. “I was worried because I didn’t think the submarine could withstand that kind of pressure and it wasn’t meant to go that far.”

Related: Hamish Harding Always 'Wanted to See' the 'Titanic' — Despite Risks — Says Longtime Friend and Explorer

He and his friend Simon — who was also concerned about the safety of the Titan — began looking much harder at the actual submersible they would be in for the almost three-mile dive into the icy ocean off the coast of Newfoundland.

“That is a small submarine, with five people crammed inside,” Sean said. “It just felt super unsafe. Something was telling me this was not the move.”

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