Christine Dawood shared with the BBC that she had originally planned to be on the ill-fated dive alongside her 48-year-old husband, Shahzada. However, she made the decision to give her spot to their 19-year-old son, Sulaiman, who had a deep fascination with Rubik’s Cubes.
Instead, Christine stayed aboard the mothership, the Polar Prince, with her 17-year-old daughter, Alina, while the Titan submarine embarked on its mission on Father’s Day.
Christine recalls being in the middle of a snack when they received word that they had lost communication with the sub, which was operated by a video game controller.
At that moment, she did not fully comprehend the gravity of the situation, but soon realized things were taking a turn for the worse. Coping with the loss of her husband and son has been incredibly challenging for her.
Despite losing communication, others on the support vessel reassured Christine that it was not uncommon. They believed the sub would resurface as expected and were constantly keeping an eye out for it.
The hope that the sub would return safely was the only thing that kept them going. However, as time passed and the sub should have surfaced from its exploration of the Titanic wreckage, they began to feel uneasy.
Christine admits losing hope around the 96-hour mark, when they knew the air supply on the Titan was supposed to run out. She even sent a message to her family onshore, preparing them for the worst.
Her daughter, Alina, held onto hope for a little longer, only losing it after a call with the Coast Guard, during which they revealed finding debris.
The tragic incident claimed the lives of Christine’s husband and son, along with Titan CEO Stockton Rush, British Billionaire Hamish Harding, and French Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Christine deeply misses her loved ones and finds it difficult to cope with their loss.
When asked about finding closure, she expressed uncertainty, questioning if such a thing is even possible.
Contrary to another relative’s statement that Sulaiman had been terrified and reluctant to go on the dive, Christine explained that he was upset only when he believed he couldn’t go due to age restrictions when they initially booked the trip before the pandemic. He had always wanted to break the world record for solving a Rubik’s Cube in the ocean’s depths.
In the original plan before rescheduling, Christine and Shahzada were supposed to go on the dive together. However, when the opportunity arose again, she willingly stepped aside to give Sulaiman the chance he had eagerly awaited.
Christine reminisces about the joyful moments shared with her husband and son, hugging and joking with them before they entered the submarine.
