Some say that our destiny is written, and although we may doubt it, there are cases such as the Titan submarine that make us rethink the idea…
On June 19, 2023, the submersible disappeared with five crew members who wanted to see the remains of the Titanic; unfortunately, this dream turned into a nightmare. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, it imploded, and the passengers died. The people on board were: Stockton Rush, Hamish Harding, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman Dawood; however, the story could have been different, and the young man would have been orphaned.
Change of Plans…
Christine Dawood, wife of Pakistani billionaire businessman Shahzada Dawood and mother of Suleman, the youngest crew member on the Titan, revealed to the BBC that she was the one who would travel into the depths to meet the Titanic, but in the end, there was a change of plans. She detailed that her first trip was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and until now, she could witness what was left of that ship that sank in April 1912, despite being considered ‘unsinkable.’
However, she ended up giving up her place to her 19-year-old son, who was more than thrilled with the idea: “I stepped back and gave my place to Suleman because he really wanted to go,” she said with regret.
Hours of Anguish and Hope to Find the Titan
Christine recalled that she and her daughter Alina were on board the ‘Polar Prince,’ the mother ship of the submersible when the terrible news was announced that communication with the passengers had been lost.
From that moment on, the search began, which lasted up to four days, where hope was in abundance. Unfortunately, the estimated 96 hours of oxygen passed and that was when he knew: “I am preparing myself for the worst.” His daughter still believed that her brother and father could be found alive, but everything changed when the Coast Guard reported that the wreckage of the submersible was found and the crew members were presumed dead, as there had been an implosion.
The Dream that Was Lost with Titan
The widow of the millionaire who died on the Titan told how her 19-year-old son was a student at Scotland’s Strathclyde University, passionate about Rubik’s cubes, and even took one with him to set a world record for the deepest Rubik’s cube. In honor of her son Suleman, Christine said she and her daughter will learn how to solve the Rubik’s cube so as not to let their greatest dream die and will look to carry on the legacy of her husband, who was a board member of the Prince’s Trust charity in the UK.
“He was involved in so many things, he helped so many people, and I think Alina and I really want to carry on that legacy (…) I miss them. I really, really miss them a lot,” Christine said.
Story written in Spanish by Nayeli Párraga in Cultura Colectiva
