The "Titan" expedition to the depths of the sea, aimed at exploring the sunken ship "Titanic," was supposed to be a different adventure for the family of British businessman Shahzada Dawood, as the son had booked two tickets for his parents for Father’s Day. However, the mother chose to honor her son and left her seat for him. According to the "New York Post," the last photo published shows the father and son an hour and fifteen minutes before the launch of "OceanGate" with the five guests.
The newspaper clarifies that the submersible exploded at a depth of 12,000 feet below sea level, resulting in the death of everyone on board. Kristen Dawood, Shahzada's widow, discussed the catastrophic final journey in an interview with the newspaper, revealing that the passengers—including her husband and son—likely spent their last moments listening to their favorite songs in complete darkness, gazing out the windows at bioluminescent sea creatures.
On June 18, Kristen stood to bid farewell to her son and husband as they were transferred onto a floating platform in the North Atlantic before the mission that captivated her husband and son’s minds. Both Suleiman and Shahzada were ready for their adventure, wearing their special OceanGate suits, waterproof trousers, orange waterproof jackets, long boots, life vests, and helmets.
"The preparations were done perfectly; several rules were established to be followed before the launch," Kristen says, adding, "The preparation process was carried out in the most professional manner. Anyone who saw the steps taken before submerging the sub would think they had done this several times before."
She continues: "The organizers provided clear and direct instructions for anyone wishing to try the experience. Passengers were firmly advised to wear thick socks and a hat and to follow a specific diet, including avoiding coffee before diving. Additionally, they were warned about the absence of a toilet on the vessel, just a bottle behind a curtain. The entire group was also told to download their favorite music onto their phones to play via Bluetooth."
Kristen added, "Her husband was amazed by the stories of 'Nargeolet'—the French explorer who was on board the submersible—who gave a presentation about his previous dives at the Titanic, including the time he was trapped there for three days and lost contact with the sub."
The wife of the businessman who lost his life on the "Titan" submersible describes the complete persuasion that affected her husband: "Nargeolet was very strong in trying to convince my husband. I still remember my husband's expression when he shouted and smiled at me saying, 'Oh my God, this is so amazing!' Nargeolet successfully struck at my husband's weak points and heightened his excitement for this adventure."
After Nargeolet's convincing attempt succeeded, Shah agreed to the adventure, and the journey began: "The five passengers boarded the submersible, and the hatch was closed. After a while, I heard someone say that contact with Titan had been lost. At that moment, I didn’t feel a great fear as we were told that the mission would be terminated if there was any problem. However, in the afternoon, I was told that they did not know the location of Titan and its crew."
