The mum of Titan sub passenger Suleman Dawood has revealed the heartbreaking message she sent her family after ‘losing hope’ for her son and husband.
Suleman, 19, tragically died in the Titan submersible alongside his father Shahzada Dawood, 48, after the sub lost contact and imploded in the sea. Suleman was a student at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and hoped to win a Guinness World Record for solving a Rubik’s cube 3,700 metres below the sea.
Mum of Titan sub passenger admits ‘when she lost hope’
Christine Dawood told the BBC that her son and husband were “excited” despite reports Suleman was “terrified” of the trip. She added it was something they had wanted to do for a “long time”. Christine Dawood and her daughter, Alina, 17, were on board the Polar Prince, the sub’s support ship, when word came through that communications with the Titan had been lost.
She admitted that when communications with the Titan sub were first lost, she “didn’t comprehend” what it meant. But after 96 hours, Christine admits she “lost hope”. She also revealed the devastating message she sent her family. Christine said: “I think I lost hope when we passed the 96 hours mark. I said: ‘I’m preparing for the worst.’ That’s when I lost hope.”
Christine heartbreakingly revealed that her teenage daughter held out hope for longer. She added: “She didn’t lose hope until the call with Coast Guard. When they basically informed us that they found debris.”
Christine hopes to continue her husband’s work
Alongside Suleman and Shahzad, three other men died. They included Stockton Rush, the 61-year-old CEO of OceanGate which owned the Titan, British businessman Hamish Harding, 58, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, a former French navy diver and renowned explorer.
The family returned to St John’s, Newfoundland last weekend and held a funeral prayer for Shahzada and Suleman. Christine said she was touched that the Imam said a prayer for all five of the men killed. Christine also shared how she will pay tribute to her son. She shared that she and her daughter are hoping to learn to finish the Rubik’s cube in Suleman’s honour.
I think I really want to continue that legacy and give him that platform.
Christine added that she hopes to continue her husband Shahzada’s work. She said her husband “helped so many people”. Christine added: “I think I really want to continue that legacy and give him that platform… it’s quite important for my daughter as well.” Christine declined to comment on ongoing investigations into the tragedy and admitted she “doesn’t know” how or when she will find closure.
Read more: Former Royal Navy captain reveals two things that could have caused Titan submersible to implode
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