19-year-old Titan passenger wanted to break Rubik's Cube world record on expedition, says mother
Christine Dawood says it's hard to know whether she'll ever find closure
The mother and wife of two passengers aboard the Titan submersible says she didn't give up hope that her son and husband would be found alive — not until the vessel's 96-hour emergency supply of oxygen was said to have run out.
"That's when I lost hope," Christine Dawood told the BBC in an interview. "I think that was the only thing that got us through it, because we were hoping."
Christine's husband, Shahzada Dawood, and 19-year-old son Suleman are two of five passengers considered lost at sea following a "catastrophic implosion" of the Titan vessel, which was on its way to see the Titanic wreckage off Newfoundland's coast.
In the interview, Christine Dawood said her son brought a Rubik's Cube with him on the expedition with the goal of breaking a Guinness world record, by solving it 3,700 metres below sea level. She said her son would "not go anywhere without his Rubik's Cube," and that he was excited to go on the adventure with his father, Shahzada.
Dawood said she and Shahzada, Suleman and her 17-year-old daughter, Alina, boarded the Polar Prince, the vessel that took the submersible out to sea, on Father's Day.
When she was told that the boat had lost communication with the submersible, she said, she didn't quite understand what that meant.
"And then, it just went downhill from there," she said.
Hard to imagine 'closure'
In a statement to CBC News, the Dawood family said they are grateful for the international support and wanted to thank everyone who was involved in the rescue and search efforts last week.
"The immense love and support we continue to receive is helping us to endure the unimaginable loss of Shahzada and Suleman," the family said in a statement. "We respectfully ask that you keep all departed souls and their families in your prayers during this difficult period of mourning."
Along with the Dawoods, three other passengers were aboard the submersible — Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, the company that owned and operated the Titan; Titanic expert and explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet; and British businessman Hamish Harding.
Dawood remembers her husband as someone who was fascinated by the world and its history. She said he had a great depth of knowledge he enjoyed sharing with everyone, and she hopes to continue his work.
"I think he started so many amazing projects. Helped so many people, and I think Alina and I really want to continue that legacy," she said.
Dawood told the BBC she was supposed to go on a previous Titan submersible expedition with her husband but the trip was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The family returned to St. John's on Saturday and a funeral prayer was held for Shahzada and Suleman on Sunday. She said she's unsure whether it's possible to find closure but she and her daughter will carry out their loved ones' legacies.
For instance, Dawood said she and her daughter hope to learn how to solve the Rubik's Cube and plan to watch every single movie Suleman loved.
"We promised ourselves we're going to learn it for Suleman," she said. "I miss them. I really, really miss them."
With files from the BBC