A father and son, Shahzada Dawood & Suleman Dawood, who perished with three people on the OceanGate Titan submarine that the U.S. Coast Guard said experienced a “catastrophic implosion” while examining the Titanic’s wreckage are being remembered for their “shared passion” and “close friendship.”
Suleman Dawood, 19, the youngest victim of the catastrophe, and his father, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, were travelling on the Titan submarine for the Father’s Day weekend.
Shahzada, a vice president for the Pakistan-based Engro Corporation and a descendant of the business tycoon Dawood Hercules Corp., was a vice president while Suleman was a college student. They were two of the five men who paid $250,000 apiece for a trip aboard the Titan submarine to the Titanic site through the extreme tourism business OceanGate.
The older Dawood also supported the British Asian Trust, a nonprofit foundation established by South Asian business elites and Britain’s King Charles III. The trust released a copy of the father and son’s obituary, which highlighted their close relationship.
The obituary says, “In this unfathomable tragedy, we try to find solace in the enduring legacy of humility and humanity that they have left behind and find comfort in the belief that they passed on to the next leg of their spiritual journey hand-in-hand, father and son”
“The relationship between Shahzada and Suleman was a joy to behold; they were each other’s greatest supporters and cherished a shared passion for adventure and exploration of all the world had to offer them,” the trust said.
“This unwavering curiosity built the foundation for a close friendship between the two and inspired those around them to develop a similar passion for learning.”
Shahzada was noted for his love of animals, gardening, photography, and helping others through his humanitarian efforts.
After graduating from college, Suleman intended to work for Engro alongside his father, according to the trust. The previous summer, he was an intern there.
“Suleman is remembered fondly by Engro colleagues as a tall young man walking around with his beloved Rubik’s cube and a smile on his face,” said the obituary. “He loved science fiction literature and volleyball, but his greatest quality was the humility he espoused which was a true reflection of his parents’ upbringing.”
About OceanGate Titan Tragedy
Contact with a 6.7-meter-long submersible called “Titan” that was taking one pilot and four crew members to a depth of about 3,800 metres to view the RMS Titanic’s wreckage in the chilly North Atlantic Ocean was lost on June 18. Parts of the submersible and “debris” were discovered close to the Titanic, and the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed this on June 22. They stated that this was consistent with a “catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber.” Everyone on board has passed away. Additionally, the U.S. Navy verified evidence of an explosion or implosion close to Titan’s final known location.
Billionaire Hamish Harding, businessman Shahzada Dawood, his college-bound son Suleman Dawood, and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet made up the Titan’s five crew members. CEO of OceanGate Inc., which ran Titan, Stockton Rush was operating the submersible. Apparently, the tour cost $250,000.
The organisation that ran the dive has referred to the five victims of the Titan submarine as “true explorers.”
The men “shared a distinct spirit of adventure,” according to a statement from OceanGate.
The US Coast Guard believes that the five perished in a catastrophic implosion.
On Thursday, pieces of the submersible were discovered around 1,600 feet (487 metres) from the Titanic wreck’s bow. The thing had vanished on Sunday.
Stockton Rush, the 61-year-old CEO of OceanGate, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman, 19, as well as 58-year-old British businessman Hamish Harding were among the men on board the sub.
Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a 77-year-old explorer and veteran diver in the French navy, was the sixth person on board.
Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard stated during a news conference on Thursday that the Titan submarine is thought to be among the debris.
Although the cause of the Titan’s demise is unknown, it has come to light that the US Navy might have heard it implode.
Shortly after the Titan lost touch with the surface, “an acoustic anomaly consistent with an implosion” was discovered, a navy officer told CBS News.
The ship vanished, sparking a large international search that included teams from the US, Canada, the UK, and France.
“Their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families,” OceanGate said in a statement.
Mr. Harding’s family referred to him as “one of a kind”.
The family made the announcement in a statement issued by Mr. Harding’s business, Action Aviation. “He was a passionate explorer – whatever the terrain – who lived his life for his family, his business, and for the next adventure,” the statement read.
The Dawood family issued a statement thanking the rescue workers and expressing their gratitude to those who “showcased the best in humanity.” They added that they are “overwhelmed with the love and support that it has received.”
According to Azmeh Dawood, who spoke to NBC News, Suleman, her nephew, was “terrified” before the trip but decided to risk it out of a desire to impress his father.
“I feel disbelief,” she admitted. “It’s an unreal situation.”
In a “most horrific way,” according to dive expert David Mearns, he lost two companions, Mr. Harding and Mr. Nargeolet.
“Hamish Harding was a tremendous character”, Mr Mearns stated, noting that Mr Nargeolet was “almost a legend really” in the world of deep sea exploration.
The family of Mr. Nargeolet praised him for his enthusiasm for the Titanic and added: “But what we will remember him most for is his big heart, his incredible sense of humour, and how much he loved his family.”
The ocean was Mr. Nargeolet’s “home away from home,” according to his stepson.
According to his stepfather, who made over 30 trips to the Titanic shipwreck, “the Titanic meant so much to him, every artefact he brought up, whether it was small or it was large, meant so much to him.”
Richard Garriot de Cayeux, president of the Explorers Club located in the US, which Mr. Harding and Mr. Nargeolet were members of, also paid tribute.
He added in a statement that the agency is “heartbroken” and that the men’s memories “will be a blessing and will continue to inspire us in the name of science and exploration”.
How were the ruins discovered?
A remotely controlled underwater search vehicle (ROV) found the debris.
Authorities were able to confirm their Titan origins thanks to the discovery of separate parts, including a tail cone.
When asked if it was likely that the five men on board’s bodies would be found, Rear Adm Mauger responded he didn’t know the answer.
He said, “This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the seafloor”
Rear Adm Mauger stated that while ROVs will stay put while the investigation into what happened goes on, search workers, including medical professionals and technicians, will be flown home over the course of the following 24 hours.
According to experts who spoke with the BBC, gathering and examining the wreckage, notably the carbon fibre that made up the main hull, may help to identify what caused the accident.
According to Professor Blair Thornton of the University of Southampton, “In the case that this is a catastrophic failure of the main housing, the submersible would have been subjected to incredibly high pressures, equivalent to the weight of the Eiffel Tower, tens of thousands of tonnes, compressing the vessel.”
“The main housing is going to implode with great force,” the speaker said.
Authorities said earlier this week that Canadian planes had heard noises of water, which some experts thought would have indicated that the passengers of the submersible were still alive.
The Coast Guard currently holds that there was no correlation between the noises and the spot on the ocean floor where the debris was discovered.
About 370 miles (600 km) off the coast of Newfoundland is where the Titanic wreck can be found.
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