Christine Dawood, the widow of Shahzada Dawood and mother of Suleman Dawood, who died in the Titan submersible implosion in June 2023, has spoken publicly for the first time about the tragedy. In an interview at her Surrey home, she revealed a sense of relief that her husband and son died instantly, rather than suffering a prolonged ordeal. The submersible imploded 500 metres above the Titanic wreck, killing all five onboard.
Dawood, a trained psychologist, described the harrowing four-day wait for news after the Titan went missing. She was aboard the support ship when the submersible failed to resurface. She recalled advice from a Canadian Coast Guard officer: 'Hindsight won’t help you, so don’t fall into that trap.' Dawood had originally planned to join the dive but gave her ticket to her son Suleman, 19, who was fascinated by the Titanic.
The family had booked the trip through a luxury travel agency after Dawood saw an advert in 2020. She said Suleman spent nearly two weeks building a Lego model of the Titanic, which now sits in a glass cabinet in her kitchen. 'People are always a bit shocked to see it, but what was I going to do? Break it up? Hide it away?' she said.
Dawood expressed concern about media focus on her son's age, saying it made the story 'juicier.' She is protective of her 20-year-old daughter, who prefers to stay out of the spotlight. Dawood has written a book about her experience, hoping to share her story on her own terms.
