19-year-old Suleman Dawood's mother speaks about her son and why he decided to take the trip on the doomed sub with his father.
Christine Dawood is speaking out about her 19-year-old son, Suleman Dawood, who along with his father, Shahzada Dawood, died on the submersible set to explore the ruins of the Titanic.
In an interview with the BBC, Christine spoke out for the first time since the news that her son, husband, and three others were confirmed dead after the submersible imploded.
Christine shared that when the mission was originally pitched to her husband, she was set to go aboard with him before the trip was canceled due to COVID-19. However, she decided that it would be good for her son to attend the trip with his father.
"Then I stepped back and gave them space to set [Suleman] up, because he really wanted to go," she told the BBC. Christine said that her son had another mission in mind in addition to seeing the Titanic -- breaking the world record for solving a Rubik's Cube.
"He said, 'I'm going to solve the Rubik's Cube 3,700 meters below sea at the Titanic,'" she shared. Ahead of the voyage, Suleman always carried one with him and often surprised onlookers when he solved the puzzle in 20 seconds.
Christine and her teenage daughter were on the Polar Prince, the support ship, where she joked and hugged her husband and son before they set off on the tour. Christine was also there when the news that the Titan lost contact came in. Christine said that she held out hope for her son and husband, but knew after the 96-hour mark, there was no more hope.
"I said: 'I'm preparing for the worst.' That's when I lost hope," she shared about a message she sent to her family, adding that her daughter held out for a little longer.
"She didn't lose hope until the call with Coast Guard. When they basically informed us that they found debris," she said.
Over the weekend, a funeral was held for Suleman and Shahzada. Christine reflected on their legacies and shared that her daughter is now trying to finish the cube in honor of her brother.
"He was involved in so many things, he helped so many people and I think I really want to continue that legacy and give him that platform... it's quite important for my daughter as well," she said.
"I miss them. I really, really miss them," she added.
Suleman and Shahzada -- a Pakistani businessman -- were aboard the vessel with OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding and veteran Titanic explorer PH Nargeolet on June 18 when they set off for the mission on the North Atlantic.
Last Thursday, Rear Admiral John Mauger, the commander of the U.S. Coast Guard leading the search, announced at a news conference that all five people aboard the 21-foot submersible Titan -- owned by OceanGate Expeditions -- are presumed dead following a "catastrophic implosion."
Following the news, OceanGate Expeditions released a statement to ET expressing their condolences to the lives lost.
"This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss. The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organizations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission," the statement read.
"We appreciate their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families. This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea," the statement added. "We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time."
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