Director James Cameron first to reach Earth’s deepest point

Hollywood director James Cameron has arrived at the deepest point of the Pacific Ocean in his solo submarine, the Deepsea Challenger.

Cameron's mission partner the National Geographic says he arrived at the Mariana Trench's Challenger Deep just after 8am on Monday, local time.

On reaching the bottom, 35,756 ft or about seven miles below the surface, Cameron, who directed Titanic and Avatar, is said to have typed out: "All systems OK."

According to the BBC correspondent reporting from nearby Guam, it took Cameron,57, about two hours to reach the bottom.

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He sent out a message on Twitter shortly afterwards, which the AFP says read: "Just arrived at the ocean's deepest pt. Hitting bottom never felt so good. Can't wait to share what I'm seeing w/ you."

Cameron will spend up to six hours on the Pacific Ocean sea floor, collecting samples for scientific research, and taking photographs and video footage.

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Only two men have reached the Trench's bottom before Cameron, Time says.  They were the US Navy Lt. Don Walsh and Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard, who made the dive in 1960 but spent only 20 minutes at the bottom.

CNN adds that Cameron is the third person to reach its bottom, and the only one to do so in a solo dive — something both billionaire businessman Richard Branson and submarine pilot Patrick Lahey were reportedly hoping to do.

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