Agony of Titan victims families one year on from sub tragedy

Bereaved families of the Titan sub victims have today spoken of their 'anger and bewilderment', one year on from the tragedy that shocked the world. Furious loved ones say there are still 'so many unanswered questions' surrounding the disaster that killed five people. Billionaire Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman, 19, a Rubik Cube's fanatic, were both killed in the tragedy which happened off the coast of Newfoundland in June 2023.

They were onboard OceanGate 's Titan submersible expedition to the Titanic, which lies at a depth of 12,500 ft at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Speaking to MailOnline from her home in the Dutch city of Amsterdam, Shahzada's sister Azmeh lashed out at 'gung-ho' Rush who was also killed and accused him of 'playing with their lives'. She said: 'If I could turn back the clock I surely would, a year has passed so quickly since my brother and nephew died and there is still much anger and bewilderment. The Titan was an uncertified vehicle, it should not have been making such a dangerous journey, it was made from recycled and rejected parts, it was not fit for purpose.'

She continued: 'It was not good enough to stand the immense pressure and I hold Stockton Rush and OceanGate responsible for what happened. He said he wanted to be a rule breaker in order to do what he wanted but he broke far too many rules and it cost the lives of my brother and nephew. It is the one-year anniversary and it's not an easy time for us, I had my differences with Shahzada and we hadn't spoken for a few years but I was close to Suleman. He would message me, and he would tell me about his school days and his time at university, he loved doing his Rubik's cube in just twelve seconds.'

'We have gone through the grieving process but there is still so much anger, we are all trying to cope with what happened, but I can tell you it's not been easy at all. I wish I could time travel because I would go back a year and change everything. This should just not have happened, every day I wake up and it hits me they are gone. There deaths were so very public, and I would have preferred them to be remembered for something more special, like a Nobel Prize. This was a submarine made of glass, with parts that were recycled and not suitable and if Rush said he broke the rules you have to wonder if they were worth breaking. I still have the messages from him and the last one just before he went on the trip saying he loved me, and he would see me soon. When I heard the news they were onboard, my son said it's over they are gone but I still had to have hope.'

The Titan submersible had not received approval from any regulatory authority and on June 18 last year it lost contact with its mother ship Polar Prince, almost two hours into the dive, 435 miles off St John's, Newfoundland. Four frantic days of searching unfolded in a desperate race against time to reach the group which also included British explorer Hamish Harding and French Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet before the 96-hour supply of air ran out. But on June 22, U.S. Coastguard officials announced what the world had feared, and confirmed the men had died as a result of catastrophic implosion as the Titan was unable to withstand the extreme pressure. Father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood lived in Thames Ditton, Surrey, with Shahzada's wife Christine, 48, and their daughter Alina, who were also both on the trip but waiting on the surface for news.

Azmeh said: 'Suleman was just 19 years old, he wasn't old enough to buy alcohol in the United States but he was old enough sign something to get on board a non-serviceable vehicle that led to his death and because Rush broke all the rules with the Titan. The tickets were $250,000 each and now others are talking about going down in different vessels but I wouldn't advise it. Suleman had hopes, dreams, plans, he'd never had his first kiss he was waiting for it all to happen. He wanted me to visit him at Strathclyde University in Glasgow but I never got the chance. There are too many memories, I will see something or remember something and it will just set me off, I miss them both so much. If I could just turn back time, if I could have done something, I should have, I should have talked him out of it and if not, I should have taken Suleman's place at least, he had his whole life ahead of him.'

Breaking down in tears, Azmeh said: 'When Shahzada and I were growing up in Pakistan we watched the Titanic film A Night To Remember and he became obsessed with it. We watched it nearly every afternoon but I could never imagine it would have led to his death and my nephew's death, he's become part of it's history.' As a way of dealing with her grief, Azmeh has written a book of poems called In The Wake of the Titan which is due to be published later this year. She said:' It's a way of trying to make peace but it's ever so difficult, and I don't think I ever will.'

Titan explorer Hamish Harding's partner and family held an intimate 'funeral' for him and buried a memories box at the church where his parents lie as they had no body. Hamish, 58, had completed several expeditions and trips was on the ill-fated dive after having flown into space the year before. The father of two ran Action Aviation — a Dubai-based private jet dealership — which was established in 2004 and covers aircraft brokering, aircraft management and financing. His cousin Kathleen Cosnett, who lives in Twyford, near Reading, told MailOnline: 'It's all so sad, and I can't believe a year has passed and we still don't know really why it all happened.'

'Hamish was my cousin and he was godfather to my daughter Lucy, and we hadn't seen each other in person for about 20 years but we kept in touch on the phone now and then. We don't know fully why it happened which is terrible for everyone involved, there are still so many unanswered questions.' In October the family held a simple ceremony at St John the Baptist Church in Pitchcombe near Stroud, Gloucestershire, where his parents are buried. It was organised by Hamish's partner Linda Szasz — the two were never married — and among mourners were Kathleen, Lucy and Hamish's two children Rory and Giles. Kathleen said: 'I had never met Linda until then and we were all invited to this lovely church in Gloucestershire where Hamish's parents are buried.'

Last week the U.S. Coastguard said the investigation into the Titan implosion was 'complex and ongoing.' The U.S. Coastguard's Marine Board Investigation (MBI) Chair Jason Neubauer said: 'We are working closely with our domestic and international partners to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the incident.' It had originally expected the investigation to be done in a year, but last week's statement said factors have extended it, including the need to contract two salvage missions to get vital evidence, as well as required extensive forensic testing.

Mr Neubauer added: 'We're grateful for the international and inter-agency cooperation which has been vital in recovering, preserving and forensically testing evidence from a remote offshore region and extreme depth. The MBI is committed to ensuring that we fully understand the factors that led to this tragedy in order to prevent similar occurrences in the future.' The MBI said it planned to hold a public hearing session by the end of the year in regard to the investigation.

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