19-year-old Suleman, Was ‘Terrified’ About The Titan Expedition Trip But Joined To Please His Dad – Aunt Reveals

In a heartbreaking turn of events, the Titan expedition that set out to explore the wreckage of the Titanic ended in tragedy as all five passengers aboard the vessel are now presumed dead. As the news broke, Azmeh Dawood, the aunt of 19-year-old Suleman, who accompanied his father on the ill-fated expedition, shared her nephew’s hesitations about the journey.

According to Azmeh, Suleman expressed his fear and reluctance to embark on the voyage in the days leading up to the Titan’s departure. The young university student confided in a relative, admitting he “wasn’t very up for it” and felt “terrified” about the expedition. However, with Father’s Day weekend coinciding with the trip and a desire to please his passionate father, Suleman ultimately decided to join the voyage aboard OceanGate’s 22-foot submersible.

Azmeh, speaking from her home in Amsterdam, where she resides with her husband, Jonathan, expressed her deep concern for her nephew’s safety. “I am thinking of Suleman, who is 19, in there, just perhaps gasping for breath… It’s been crippling, to be honest,” she shared during a phone interview.

The devastating news of the presumed deaths was confirmed by OceanGate, the company responsible for organizing the Titan expedition. The U.S. Coast Guard, involved in the search and rescue efforts, stated that the debris found in the search area indicated a “catastrophic implosion.” The announcement left Azmeh shattered, her grief palpable as she struggled to find words through sobs. “I feel disbelief,” she managed to express. “It’s an unreal situation.”

The past four days have been torturous for Azmeh, who closely followed the news coverage of the search for the Titan, desperately seeking any updates about her brother and nephew while fearing the worst. “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 revealed, illustrating the torment she experienced. “I personally have found it kind of difficult to breathe thinking of them.”

As Azmeh and Shahzada Dawood are scions of one of Pakistan’s most prominent corporate dynasties, their family’s tragic loss reverberates beyond personal circles. Shahzada, a Pakistani businessman and vice chairman of the Karachi-based Engro Corporation, was also an advisor to Prince’s Trust International, a charitable organization founded by King Charles III. The Dawood family’s namesake business empire, Dawood Hercules Corp., holds investments in various sectors, including agriculture and healthcare.

As the investigation into the Titan tragedy continues, the world mourns the lives presumed lost in pursuit of unraveling the mysteries of the legendary Titanic. The haunting echoes of this devastating event serve as a reminder of the perils that lie beneath the ocean’s depths, forever entwined with the tales of human ambition and the unforgiving forces of nature.