The aunt of Suleman Dawood, the 19-year-old who died in the Titan submersible implosion, said he was “terrified” of going on the trip, according to a Thursday NBC interview.
Azmeh Dawood told NBC News that Suleman had mentioned to a relative that he “wasn’t very up for it” and was afraid to go into the submersible. She added that the 19-year-old decided to participate in the expedition to see the Titanic wreckage to appease his dad, Shazada, on Father’s Day. (RELATED: ‘Nanoseconds’: Expert Details What Sub Victims Likely Experienced In ‘Catastrophic Implosion’).
Azmeh said she was devastated when OceanGate confirmed that all five passengers on the submersible died in a “catastrophic implosion.”
“I am thinking of Suleman, who is 19, in there, just perhaps gasping for breath … It’s been crippling, to be honest,” she told NBC News.
“I feel disbelief,” Amzeh added. “It’s an unreal situation.”
The 19-year-old passenger “wasn’t very up for it” and felt “terrified” about the trip to explore the Titanic wreckage, his aunt said
He ended up going because he was eager to please his dad, who was passionate about the lore of the ship, she said https://t.co/FRrZAkHhbH
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) June 22, 2023
Azmeh told the outlet that she has closely watched the news for developments of the missing Titan submersible, desperately hoping for good news about her brother and nephew. She claims to have been out of touch with her brother in recent years, but kept a relationship with her nephew.
“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 told NBC News. “I personally have found it kind of difficult to breathe thinking of them.”
“I never thought I would have an issue with drawing breath,”Amzeh added. “It’s been unlike any experience I’ve ever had.”
Suleman and Shahzada were among the five passengers reported dead Thursday from the suspected implosion. The submersible embarked off the Newfoundland coast Sunday. Search-and-rescue efforts were initiated when the submarine lost contact with the surface ship less than two hours after departing.