I gave up place on Titan sub to my son

Mum wanted teenager to experience unique voyage

- CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN

THE grieving submersible mother of Titanic victim Suleman Dawood has told how she gave up her place on the doomed trip for him.

Christine Dawood stayed on the vessel's mother ship, Polar Prince, as her son and husband Shahzada descended.

It is now thought the submersible imploded that same day, June 18, but Christine spent days hoping rescue teams would find the Titan intact.

Mrs Dawood says the family's planned trip to the depths of the Atlantic was delayed by the Covid pandemic. When OceanGate's trips resumed, Suleman's enthusiasm made her alter the plans.

She said: "I stepped back and gave them space to set [Suleman] up because he really wanted to go."

Of her son and businessman husband, 48, she added: "I was really happy for them because both of them, they really wanted to do that for a 23 very long time.

It was an hour and 45 minutes into the trip when Mrs Dawood and her daughter Alina, 17, were told communications with the submersible had been lost.