The mother of the 19-year-old casualty of the Titan submersible tragedy is now speaking out, revealing that it was originally her who was meant to go on the doomed expedition to visit the ruins of the Titanic.
Two of the five people who are now all presumed dead from what is suspected to be an implosion underneath the ocean were a father and son: Shahzada and Suleman Dawood. The pair was survived by Christine Dawood, who has now revealed in an interview that she only allowed her son to take her place due to the enthusiasm he expressed about the expedition.
“It was supposed to be Shahzada and I going down. And then I stepped back and gave the space to Suleman because he really wanted to go,” Christine said, per Today.
In the interview, Christine also recalled the last moment she got to spend with her husband and son.
“We just hugged and joked actually because Shahzada was so excited to go down. He was like a little child. I miss him. And I really, really miss them.”
According to 9 News, the university-aged Suleman was looking forward to breaking a world record by solving a Rubik’s cube puzzle while visiting the ruins of the Titanic.
This news comes a few days after Azmeh Dawood, the older sister of Shahzada and Suleman’s aunt, claimed the 19-year-old was actually “terrified” prior to going on the trip and “expressed hesitation,” according to NBC News. As Azmeh explained, Suleman “wasn’t very up for it.”
Shahzada, a British-Pakistani businessman, was one of five total passengers — including his own son Suleman — who are now all presumed dead, including the CEO of OceanGate and owner of the Titan sub, Stockton Rush.
Rush allegedly ignored several warnings regarding the Titan’s lack of safety and even eschewed the normal certifications entailed with such a vessel, be it from a government agency or any other entity. The sub was built from off-the-shelf components, as well, being constructed with a carbon fiber composite and controlled with a third-party Xbox controller, of all things.