Christine Dawood, whose husband Shahzada and son Suleman died in the Titan submersible implosion in June 2023, has spoken in detail for the first time about the tragedy. The 48-year-old father and 19-year-old son were among five people killed when the vessel imploded 500 metres above the Titanic wreck. Dawood, a trained psychologist, said she felt relief that their deaths were instantaneous.
Speaking from her home in Surrey, Dawood described the four-day wait for news as harrowing. She had originally planned to join the dive but gave her seat to Suleman, who was fascinated by the Titanic. 'Suleman wanted to go and I was happy to give up the seat. I was happy for him to make memories with his father. I can't change that,' she said.
Dawood recalled advice from a Canadian Coast Guard officer after the search ended: 'Hindsight won't help you, so don't fall into that trap.' She said the family discovered the dive opportunity during the 2020 lockdown through a travel agency. The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate, lost contact with its support ship about one hour and 45 minutes into the dive.
A media frenzy ensued as the world followed the search, with rumours about the sub's fate and a countdown based on the four-day oxygen supply. Dawood noted that the ages of her son and husband drew particular attention: 'If it had been five grown men, it might not have been as juicy.' She has written a book about her experience.
