Shahzada Dawood and son Suleman, cheered on by wife Christine Dawood, embarked on a daring adventure to explore the depths of the North Atlantic in a submersible craft called Titan. Little did they know that this Father's Day dive to the wreckage of the Titanic would turn into a tragic and devastating event. Read on to hear insights from the final days of the passengers of the Titanic submersible, from a new story in the New York Times and other sources, who chronicled those final moments.
As Christine watched from the support ship, Shahzada and Suleman entered the 22-foot Titan, ready to descend into the deep ocean. Also part of the expedition was Stockton Rush, the 61-year-old founder and CEO of OceanGate, as well as Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a 77-year-old French scientist renowned as a global authority on the Titanic. Joining him was Hamish Harding, a 58-year-old British airline executive.
Excitement filled the air as Shahzada held a camera and Suleman carried a Rubik's Cube, eager to capture the underwater marvels and set a Guinness World Record for the deepest-ever completion of the puzzle. Wearing a ton of gear, "I'm looking quite fat," Ms. Dawood remembered her husband's saying, according to the Times. "I'm boiling up already."
Inside the submersible, the divers sealed the hatch, and the journey began. At a depth of 13,000 feet, communication with Titan suddenly went silent, raising concerns among the crew. The United States Coast Guard confirmed the loss of communication after only 1 hour and 45 minutes into the dive. "I was sitting with people talking, and then somebody came down and said we lost comms," she told the BBC. "I think I didn't comprehend at that moment what that meant."
Christine anxiously awaited updates on the surface ship, hoping for a quick resolution. Time dragged on, and her dread grew as she realized that something had gone terribly wrong. The whereabouts of Titan and its crew remained unknown, and Christine kept a vigilant eye on the ocean's surface, searching for any signs of their return.
Four days later, Coast Guard officials announced the discovery of debris from Titan, indicating a catastrophic implosion. Shahzada, Suleman, and the other passengers, including renowned Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet and British executive Hamish Harding, had tragically lost their lives in the depths of the ocean.
The Dawood family's fascination with the Titanic and their desire for a unique adventure led them to OceanGate, a company offering trips to the famous shipwreck. OceanGate's innovative approach blended science and tourism, but their submersible design and safety practices had faced criticism from experts. "Oh, my god, this is so cool," Ms. Dawood recalled her husband saying, after watching a Nargeolet presentation—even though it was about how one time he was "stuck down there for three days and the sub was out of communication," she told the New York Times. Her husband "was lapping everything up. He had this big glow on his face talking about all this nerdy stuff."
OceanGate, a company planning to take wealthy passengers on tours of the Titanic's wreckage, faced warnings and concerns from experts before their submersible craft went missing in the Atlantic Ocean. The company's director of marine operations produced a critical report highlighting the need for more testing and the potential dangers to passengers at extreme depths. Additionally, over thirty industry leaders and experts sent a letter to OceanGate's CEO, cautioning against their experimental approach and the lack of a traditional assessment, citing the possibility of catastrophic problems during the Titanic mission.
The ill-fated dive to the Titanic revealed the dangers of venturing into the deep ocean. While the Dawood family and others sought a remarkable adventure, they ultimately paid the ultimate price. This tragic event serves as a somber reminder of the risks inherent in exploring the mysteries of the deep sea.
