The university student who was killed in the tragic Titanic submarine ‘implosion’ was ‘terrified’ about the trip and only joined the crew to please his dad for Father’s Day, his heartbroken aunt has revealed.
Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, 19, were two of the five victims killed instantly when the OceanGate submersible suffered a ‘catastrophic implosion’ just 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic, according to the US Coast Guard.
The other victims were OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French Navy veteran Paul-Henri (PH) Nargeolet and British billionaire Hamish Harding. They had been missing since the Titan sub vanished on Sunday, prompting a nail-biting search for the crew.
Tragically, Azmeh Dawood – the older sister of Mr Dawood, the vice chairman of Engro Corporation – told NBC News that her nephew ‘wasn’t very up for it’ but felt compelled to please his father, who was very passionate about the 1912 shipwreck.
‘I am thinking of Suleman, who is 19, in there, just perhaps gasping for breath… It’s been crippling, to be honest,’ she told the US outlet from her home in Amsterdam.
University student Suleman (left), 19, and his father Shahzada Dawood (right) were two of the five victims who were killed instantly when the OceanGate submersible suffered a ‘catastrophic implosion’
Azmeh Dawood (pictured) – the older sister of Mr Dawood – revealed today that her nephew was ‘terrified’ about the trip and only went on it to please his father
Mr Dawood and his son were heirs to the great Dawood business dynasty and amongst the richest people in Pakistan- although they lived in Surrey, England
Suleman (pictured) was studying at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow before his death
She added: ‘I feel disbelief. It’s an unreal situation.’
Azmeh, who like the other anxious relatives were hoping for a miracle, continued: ‘I feel like I’ve been caught in a really bad film, with a countdown, but you didn’t know what you’re counting down to.’
She said she ‘personally found it kind of difficult to breathe thinking of them’, adding: ‘It’s been unlike any experience I’ve ever had’.
Amzeh herself admitted she would not have gotten on the Titan submersible ‘if you gave me a million dollars’.
It comes after Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard revealed at a press conference today: ‘The debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. Upon this determination we immediately notified the families.
‘On behalf of the Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families.’
It would have been an instant death for the men, some of whom had paid £195,000 each to see the famous shipwreck.
In a gut-wrenching blow for their families, experts say there is little prospect of recovering any of their remains.
The Dawood family paid tribute following the announcement that Shahzada and his son Suleman were among those who died
As search and rescue teams clung to hope of finding the sub yesterday, the Dawoods’ family gathered above the water where the vessel was last seen.
A family source told MailOnline yesterday that Mr Dawood’s wife Christine and daughter Alina were at the search site and would wait there ‘as long as they can’.
The source added: ‘It’s not clear what it was that made Mr Dawood want to go and visit the Titanic with his son, but he is driven by a passion of exploration, and I understand this was something that had been planned for some time.’
Mr Dawood and his son were heirs to the great Dawood business dynasty and amongst the richest people in Pakistan – although they lived in Surrey, England.
Suleman was studying at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.
Shahzada Dawood, 48, (pictured with his wife Christine) was a UK-based board member of the Prince’s Trust charity
Before his death was announced, Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal and Vice Chancellor, said in a statement: ‘I write to you with a heavy heart to share the news that one of our students, Suleman Dawood, is a passenger on board the submersible that is missing in the North Atlantic.
‘We are deeply concerned about Suleman, his father and the others involved in this incident. I know you will join me in sending our thoughts and prayers to their families and loved ones.’
A family statement earlier in the week described him as ‘a big fan of science fiction literature and learning new things’.
Five people were onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding (pictured)
Read Related Also: Ashes 2023: How Ollie Robinson's sledging of Australia's tail backfired after Usman Khawaja send-off
French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) was also in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition
US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger announcing the men’s deaths today at a press conference in Boston. ‘The debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. Upon this determination we immediately notified the families. ‘On behalf of the Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families.’
Rescuers had scrambled to locate the missing Titanic tourist submersible but it was confirmed that debris had been found from it today
Suleman’s mother Christine, a psychologist and life coach, and his sister Alina had been spending a month in Canada before the father and son undertook the dive.
Suleman’s father was a supporter of two charities founded by King Charles – the British Asian Trust and the Prince’s Trust International.
The Dawood family released a statement on Twitter tonight, saying ‘it is with profound grief that we announce the passing of Shahzada and Suleman Dawood’.
‘Our beloved sons were aboard OceanGate’s Titan submersible that perished underwater.
‘Please continue to keep the departed souls and our family in your prayers during this difficult period of mourning.
‘We are truly grateful to all those involved in the rescue operations. Their untiring efforts were a source of strength for us during this time.
‘We are also indebted to our friends, family, colleagues, and well-wishers from all over the world who have stood by us during our hour of need. The immense love and support we receive continues to help us to endure this unimaginable loss.
‘We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the other passengers on the Titan submersible. At this time, we are unable to receive calls and request that support, condolences, and prayers be messaged instead. Details of their final rites in this world will be announced soon.’
In this U.S. Coast Guard handout, a Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina HC-130 Hercules airplane flies over the French research vessel, L’Atalante approximately 900 miles East of Cape Cod during the search for the 21-foot submersible, Titan, June 21, 2023 over the Atlantic Ocean
Azmeh – who was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis in 2014 and ‘reduced to being in a wheelchair’, said she had fallen out of touch with her brother in recent years.
She had moved from England to Amsterdam to have easier access to medical cannabis – something her family members, including her brother, disapproved of.
But after hearing the tragic news, she was reminded of her love for her brother. ‘He was my baby brother, I held him up when he was born,’ she said.
Amzeh said she always felt close to Suleman who she described as ‘thoroughly good-hearted’.
As tributes for the father and son continue to pour in, Mr Dawood’s company shared condolences with the family.
In a statement, Engro Corporation, the Pakistani conglomerate that he was vice chairman of, said: ‘With heavy hearts and great sadness, we grieve the loss of our vice chairman, Shahzada Dawood, and his beloved son, Suleman Dawood.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the Dawood family at this tragic time.
‘We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, colleagues, friends and all those around the world who grieve this unthinkable loss.’
After days of searching for the lost Titan sub, officials today announced that the five passengers on board had perished.
Among them was British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding, whose family have paid tribute to him as a ‘dedicated father’ and ‘living legend’ who died doing what he loved.
French Navy veteran Paul-Henri (PH) Nargeolet, who was an experienced Titanic diver, also lost his life.
In a heartbreaking tribute, Richard Garriott, president of the Explorers Club, of which Harding and Nargeolet were both members, said that the men had been drawn to explore ‘in the name of meaningful science for the betterment of mankind.’
‘Our hearts are broken. I am so sorry to have to share this tragic news,’ Garriott announced. He said the club was ‘grateful for all our members and the scientific and exploration community around the world who have mobilized personnel and resources to support the search and rescue’.
Garriott described Harding as a ‘dear friend’ to himself and the club. ‘He holds several world records and has continued to push dragons off maps both in person and through supporting expeditions and worthy causes,’ he wrote.
‘We’re heartbroken for the families, friends and colleagues of those who were lost. Their memories will be a blessing and will continue to inspire us in the name of science and exploration,’ Garriott said.
