Mother of Teen on Titan Sub Let Him Go in Her Place, Says He 'Really Wanted to Go'

The mother of the teen on the Titan submersible says she let him go in her place because he "really wanted to go." Speaking to the BBC, Christine Dawood mounted the loss of her 19-year-old son, Suleman Dawood and his father, Shahzada Dawood. The two men died last week when the Titan sub imploded on its way to explore the Titanic wreckage on the Atlantic Ocean floor.

Interestingly, Christine revealed that she was originally supposed to be part of the dive group, but plans changed after the Covid-19 pandemic impacted the plans. When the opportunity came around again, she says Suleman wanted to join his father. "Then I stepped back and gave them space to set [Suleman] up, because he really wanted to go," she shared, adding that he had a big dream for the trip. "He said, 'I'm going to solve the Rubik's Cube 3,700 meters below sea at the Titanic.'"

Christine and her daughter were aboard the Titan's support ship, where she told her husband goodbye before the dive. "I said: 'I'm preparing for the worst.' That's when I lost hope," she said, noting that her daughter continued hoping until the tragic news was confirmed. "She didn't lose hope until the call with Coast Guard. When they basically informed us that they found debris."

The underwater exploration vessel set out on Sunday morning, June 18, with five passengers aboard, including OceanGate CEO and Titan owner Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, and veteran Titanic explorer PH Nargeolet. Eventually, OceanGate personnel lost contact with the submersible. Rescue teams soon began to search, as it was been believed that the sub began with roughly 96 hours of breathable air. However, news later emerged that the U.S. Coast Guard discovered a "debris field" near the Titanic. They later stated that they believed this to be from the Titan. 

"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," a statement from OceanGate 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 continued. "We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time."