Titanic Submarine Student
The university student who tragically died in the catastrophic Titanic submarine implosion had expressed deep fear and concern about the trip.
According to his grieving aunt, Suleman Dawood, just 19, decided to join the crew to make his father happy on Father’s Day, despite his overwhelming fear.
It was previously reported that Suleman and his father, Shahzada Dawood, a Pakistani businessman, were among the five victims killed when the OceanGate submersible suffered a devastating implosion during their journey to witness the Titanic ship’s wreckage, located about 39,000 feet below sea level.
According to Azmeh Dawood, Mr. Dawood’s older sister, who is the Vice President of Engro Corporation, her nephew “wasn’t really ready for the trip” but felt compelled to please his father, who was very interested in the historic 1912 shipwreck.
Speaking to NBC News from her home in Amsterdam, Azmeh said:
“I am thinking of Suleman, who is 19, in there, just perhaps gasping for breath … It’s been crippling, to be honest.
“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. I personally found it kind of difficult to breathe thinking of them. It’s been unlike any experience I’ve ever had”.
She also admitted that she would not have boarded the Titan submersible if she had been given a million dollars.
Before his tragic death, Suleman was a student at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal, and Vice-Chancellor, wrote:
“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.”