In a tragic turn of events, a planned expedition to the wreckage site of the Titanic culminated in a “catastrophic implosion” of the submersible. The U.S. Coast Guard and OceanGate Expeditions, the company responsible for operating the submersible, confirmed that all five individuals on board were “dead”. This statement comes after the rescue team recovered debris. The five passengers on board were British billionaire Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman, both Pakistani businessmen, a renowned French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and CEO of OceanGate Stockton Rush.
In a heartbreaking revelation, it has come to light that Suleman, the 19-year-old university student who accompanied his father on the ill-fated expedition, had expressed deep reservations about the upcoming journey. Azmeh Dawood, Suleman’s aunt and older sister of Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, shared in an interview with NBC News that her nephew had expressed his hesitation and profound fear regarding the trip to explore the Titanic wreckage. She told the portal that Suleman “wasn’t very up for it” and felt “terrified” about the trip.
Despite his apprehension, Suleman made the decision to join the OceanGate expedition aboard the 22-foot submersible. As Father’s Day weekend coincided with the trip, Suleman decided to please his dad, who held a deep fascination for the legendary history of the Titanic. Azmeh Dawood shared the emotional toll this ordeal has taken on their family. “I am thinking of Suleman, who is 19, in there, just perhaps gasping for breath. It’s been crippling, to be honest,” Azmeh said.
The news confirming the tragic fate of all five passengers aboard the Titan expedition left Azmeh in a state of devastation. Azmeh expressed her disbelief and struggled to articulate the overwhelming sense of an unreal situation. “I feel like I’ve been caught in a really bad film, with a countdown, but you didn’t know what you’re counting down to,” she said.
The extensive search and rescue operation triggered international help, drawing the involvement of personnel from the United States, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. In addition to the joint efforts, the French vessel L’Atalante dispatched another remotely operated vehicle (ROV) on Thursday, further bolstering the search efforts. The Titan submersible, which began its trip on Sunday, had only 96 hours of oxygen supply.
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