Remembering Relatives of the Titanic Expedition Victim: His Lifelong Fascination with Titanic

On June 22, local time, the United States Coast Guard announced that all five passengers aboard the Titan submersible, which was investigating the disappearance of the Titanic, had perished. Among the passengers were Shahzada Dawood, a wealthy businessman with dual Pakistani and British citizenship, and his 19-year-old son, Suleman.

Shahzada's sister, Azma Dawood, recalled that Shahzada had been 'absolutely obsessed with the Titanic' since childhood. When the siblings were in Pakistan, they would often watch the 1958 British film 'A Night to Remember,' a historical documentary about the shipwreck.

Azma also mentioned that when Shahzada met her husband, he even asked if they could sit down and watch a four-hour documentary about the Titanic. Furthermore, Shahzada enjoyed visiting museums to see exhibitions of artifacts.

When Azma learned that her brother had purchased tickets for an underwater trip, she was not surprised. However, she stated that Suleman, who was traveling with his father aboard the Titan, was very worried before the trip. Azma mentioned that Suleman told a relative, 'He's not very willing,' and he was 'afraid' of exploring the wreckage of the Titanic.

According to Azma, the 19-year-old eventually boarded the Titan because the underwater trip coincided with Father's Day, and he wanted to please his father, who was passionate about the legend of the Titanic.

The past four days have been extremely painful for Azma. She follows the news about the Titan daily, hoping to receive the latest updates on her brother and nephew. 'I struggle to breathe when I think of them,' she said.