The mom ofTitansubmersiblevictimSuleman Dawood, 19, has revealed she gave her son her seat on the vessel — and that he took a Rubik’s Cube with him to solve at the bottom of the ocean.
Speaking to the BBCon Sunday, Christine Dawood said she had planned to view the wreck of theTitanicwith her husbandShahzada Dawood, who also lost his life in the accident, but the trip was canceled because of theCOVID-19pandemic.
“Then I stepped back and gave them space to set [Suleman] up, because he really wanted to go,” she said. “I was really happy for them because both of them, they really wanted to do that for a very long time.”
“He said, ‘I’m going to solve the Rubik’s Cube 3,700 metres below sea at the Titanic.’ " added Christine about her son, who could solve the puzzle in 12 seconds.
Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman.HANDOUT/DAWOOD HERCULES CORPORATION/AFP
HANDOUT/DAWOOD HERCULES CORPORATION/AFP
As for the final moments and words she shared with her husband and son, Christine said, “Well we just hugged and joked actually, because Shahzada was so excited to go down, he was like a little child. So the sentence, we lost comm, I think that will be a sentence I never want to hear in my life again.”
Christine also opened up about the moment she lost hope that her loved ones — and fellow passengers, OceanGate CEOStockton Rush,Paul-Henri NargeoletandHamish Harding— would be found alive during the U.S. Coast Guard’s search of the Atlantic Ocean near theTitanic.
BBC; HANDOUT/DAWOOD HERCULES CORPORATION/AFP via Getty Images
“Past the 96 hours mark, that’s when I lost hope,” said the mom of two, who was onboard the sub’s Canadian support ship the Polar Prince. “That’s when I sent a message to my family on shore, ‘I’m preparing for the worse.’ ”
“I miss them, I really, really miss them,” she added.
‘Titan’ victims Hamish Harding; Stockton Rush; Paul-Henri Nargeolet; Suleman Dawood; Shahzada Dawood.JOEL SAGET,HANDOUT/Dirty Dozen Productions/OceanGat/AFP via Getty Images
JOEL SAGET,HANDOUT/Dirty Dozen Productions/OceanGat/AFP via Getty Images
Suleman’s aunt Azmeh Dawood previouslytold NBC Newsthat the teenager went on the voyage, which took place on Father’s Day, to please his dad after reportedly having shared with a relative that he"wasn’t very up for it” and felt “terrified.”
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The searchfor theTitanbegan shortly after the vessel “lost all communication” with expedition vessel Polar Prince “approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes” into its dive on June 18, U.S. Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick said at a press conference in Boston on Tuesday.
TheTitanwas equipped with an estimated 96 hours of oxygen at the start of the expedition, according to Frederick.
In a press conference on Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that an ROV discovered debris 1,600 feet from the bough of the tailbone of theTitanicwreckage on the sea floor. The Coast Guard said that the debris they found was consistent with a “catastrophic loss of the pressure” in theTitan.
The ‘Titan’ submersible.Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
“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 statement continued.
The following day, Suleman and Shahzada’s family issued a statement saying they “mourn the tragic loss” with “profound sorrow” and went on to praise the close bond between the pair.
The relationship between the father and son “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.
source: people.com
