- The search for the lost OceansGate titan submersible ended tragically.
- Family members of Suleman Dawood, 19, and his father, Shahzada, finally broke their silence after the crew was presumed dead.
- One of the Dawood family members revealed that Suleman was hesitant about the trip.
The search for the lost OceansGate titan submersible that grabbed the world’s attention has ended on a tragic note. The five passengers on the submersible took off on June 18, and communication was lost an hour and 45 minutes after their departure.
After a long hunt for the vessel, the US Coast Guard revealed that they found a tail cone of the submersible 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic wreckage.
OceanGate titan submersible | Source: Getty Images
Therefore, the US Coast Guard and the tourist company had to make the difficult decision to announce the death of those on board and offer their condolences to the families.
The family members of 19-year-old boy Suleman Dawood who died alongside his father, Shahzada, broke their silence and released a statement through their family non-profit organization, The Dawood Foundation.
The Dawood family expressed their gratitude for the effort put into trying to find the missing Titan submersible. Despite the scary situation, the rigorous search comforted the family when they needed it the most.
They also thanked their family and friends for sticking with them through the tragic loss and extended their condolences to the remaining crew that died.
As they navigate these two significant losses, the Dawood family asked not to be called and for further condolences to be sent via email or text.
Christine Dawood, coach, psychologist, and the woman that lost her husband and a son in the missing vessel, has deactivated her Facebook account as she processes these painful losses.
Someone who is also distraught by the loss is Azmeh Dawood, the sister of Shahzada and aunt to Suleman, who has been estranged from the family after she moved from England to Amsterdam for medical reasons.
She followed the news and worried about her nephew and brother. Despite the rocky sibling relationship, she said, “He was my baby brother. I held him up when he was born.”
The company also released a statement on behalf of The CEO of OceanGate, Stockton Rush, who was also on the lost submersible.
The statement described the five men as “true explorers” that cared for the ocean. “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,” wrote the company.
19-year-old Suleman Dawood was “terrified” Ahead of the Trip
Following a statement from the Dawood family, Azmeh revealed that her 19-year-old nephew was hesitant about the trip but did it for his father for Father’s Day.
Azmeh said Suleman “wasn’t really up for” the adventure and was “terrified” ahead of the trip. Now that her brother and nephew are gone, Azmeh expressed, “I feel disbelief. It’s an unreal situation.”
Thinking of her nephew in the vessel has been unimaginable for Azmeh. “I am thinking of Suleman, who is 19, in there, just perhaps gasping for breath … It’s been crippling, to be honest,” said the distraught aunt.
According to Azmeh, Shahzada had been fascinated by the Titanic since they were children and would always watch the 1958 film “A Night to Remember,” about a sinking cruise line. For Shahzada visiting the Titanic wreckage was a dream come true.
Everything about the Distraught Dawood Family
Christine has a thriving career as a psychologist and coach, with two degrees in Occupational and Business Psychology and Consulting and Coaching for Change to show for it.
However, the mother of two also left behind a career in engineering after she and her husband survived a plane crash.
The psychologist wrote about the near-death experience on her blog, Next Step Now. She remembered she and her husband taking off but felt uneasy even when they were steadily flying in the clouds.
When a sharp turn that slid her off her seat came, Christine and Shahzada knew something was wrong, and without saying anything, they locked their eyes and hands. They were both terrified, but Christine did not allow any thoughts of death to cross their mind.
OceanGate titan submersible | Source: Getty Images
“He was as scared as I was, and yet we were together. ‘Until death do…’ No, don’t go there!” she wrote. Once the ride started to get turbulent, she chanted a prayer and then lost sense of time until they landed.
Christine remembered her husband telling her he thought about all the missed opportunities and the many things he wanted to teach their children. Sadly Shahzada and Suleman left behind Christine and the eldest daughter Alina.
Suleman was studying business at the University of Strathclyde, and his sister Alina was an English Literature student who graduated with honors and received several academic awards.
Here is another story about the CEO of OceanGate and the warnings he received about the expedition.
