Suleman Dawood, one of the five people who died in "catastrophic implosion" of the Titanic submersible, took his Rubik's Cube with him to break the world record, his mother has told the BBC. The 19-year-old was the son of Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood, who was killed in the tragic incident. He had applied to the Guinness World Records informing them about the attempt he plans to undertake. The BBC said that the teenager's father even took a camera with him to capture the moment. But Mr Dawood's wife later learned they never made it out.
Christine Dawood was on Polar Prince, the submersible's support vessel, with her daughter when she got the news that contact had been lost. Titan, the submersible, disappeared less than two hours after making the dive to the wreckage of the Titanic, which sank in 1912.
"I didn't comprehend at that moment what it meant - and then it just went downhill from there," Ms Dawood told the BBC.
She also said that she had initially planned to go to see the Titanic's wreck but the trip was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Then I stepped back and gave them space to set Suleman up, because he really wanted to go," Ms Dawood added.
When asked what were her final words to her husband and son, Ms Dawood said: "We just hugged and joked actually because Shahzada was so excited to go down. He was like a little child."
Three more people were on board the submersible along with Suleman and his father. They were: Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate that owned the Titan, British businessman Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a former French navy diver and renowned explorer.
Talking about her son's love for Rubik's Cube, Ms Dawood said he carried it everywhere. "He said 'I'm going to solve the Rubik's Cube 3,700 metres below sea at the Titanic'," she told the outlet.
Ms Dawood said she was "very happy" because the father-son duo wanted to go on the expedition for a very long time.
"I think I lost hope when we passed the 96 hours mark," she said, recalling the tragedy.
The woman said she and her daughter will try to learn to finish the Rubik's Cube in Suleman's honour, and that she will continue her husband's work.
"I miss them. I really, really miss them," said Ms Dawood.
Earlier, Suleman's aunt had told NBC News that the teenager was terrified of the daring expedition but joined it because it was important to his Titanic-obsessed father.
