Suleman Dawood’s mother says she gave him submersible seat

Suleman Dawood, the teenager who died on the Titanic submersible, “really wanted to go” on the underwater expedition, according to his mother, who says she gave up her seat for him.

Christine Dawood previously planned to join husband Shahzada Dawood on the deep dive beneath the Atlantic Ocean’s surface, but their trip was canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic, she told the BBC.

“Then I stepped back and gave them space to set [Suleman] up, because he really wanted to go,” Christine told the British outlet in her first interview since the tragedy.

Suleman, 19, and Shahzada, 48, were among the five people who died last week after the U.S. Coast Guard said OceanGate Expedition’s Titan submersible imploded during a trip to view the Titanic wreckage.

Suleman, who could solve a Rubik’s Cube in 12 seconds, brought one aboard the submersible with the hope of setting a new world record, his mother said.

“He said, ‘I’m going to solve the Rubik’s Cube 3,700 metres below sea at the Titanic,’” Christine said.

Her comments differ from those of Suleman’s paternal aunt, Azmeh Dawood, who told NBC News last week that the teenager felt “terrified” about the expedition but agreed to join his dad over Father’s Day weekend.

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Christine and daughter Alina, 17, joined Suleman and Shahzada on the Polar Prince, a support vessel for the submersible, and they all hugged before the expedition, the mother told the BBC.

“I was really happy for them because both of them, they really wanted to do that for a very long time,” Christine said.

A funeral prayer for Suleman and Shahzada took place Sunday.