The 19-year-old passenger, who died aboard the Titan submersible, was “terrified” of an expedition to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, his aunt told NBC News.
• Also read: The likely implosion of the submersible was discovered by the US Navy on Sunday
• Also read: Submersible implosion: James Cameron ‘struck by similarities to Titanic disaster’
• Also read: Three hypotheses to explain Titan’s “catastrophic” implosion
Azmeh Dadwood, the sister of the influential Pakistani businessman who was also killed in the implosion, broke the silence Thursday after hours of grief.
In an interview with NBC News, the woman said her nephew Suleman expressed fears just before the $250,000 field trip began.
AFP
According to the lady, the young university student told a relative that he wasn’t “very motivated” and that the idea of getting up close and personal with the wreck of the Titanic scared him.
As Father’s Day approached, Suleman Dadwood still believed he would enjoy accompanying his father on this outing, as he had always been interested in the circumstances of the Titanic tragedy.
From her residence in Amsterdam, the lady managed to express her feelings since the OceanGate company confirmed the deaths of the five passengers on board the small submarine.
“I think of Suleman, who is 19 years old, sitting in the submersible, maybe out of breath […] To be honest, it paralyzed me […] I’m at a loss for words, it’s an unreal situation,” she said emotionally during her short interview with NBC News.
AFP
Since the Titan was reported missing on Sunday, Azmeh Dadwood and her partner Jonathan have been constantly checking mainstream media reports for further developments.
“I feel like it was all a bad movie, shot in real time, but you don’t know what to expect,” she says.
The Europe-based woman finds it hard to imagine the suffering her loved ones endured at more than 3,000 meters under sea, despite the risks these expeditions entail.
Shahzada Dadwood, 48, was the head of a business empire in Pakistan involved in energy, agriculture, petrochemicals and telecommunications.
AFP