Islamabad; The family of two Pakistani men thanked everyone who tried to save the father and son or sent condolences from all over the world during a virtual memorial service on Tuesday for their sacrifice in the implosion of a submersible as it descended to the Titanic wreckage.
Days after authorities confirmed that everyone aboard the Titan perished, Shahzada Dawood's family and his 19-year-old son Suleman organised a prayer service. Near the location of the Titanic's wreckage, a submersible carrying five people imploded, killing everyone on board.
Christina Dawood, Shahzada Dawood's widow, sobbed as she talked about her husband and son. On June 18, she learned that communications with the Titan submersible had been lost while it was travelling to the ocean floor while she was aboard a support vessel.
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She thanked everyone in her remarks for supporting the family during this difficult time. Through the Dawood Foundation, the family's nonprofit organisation, the service was broadcast on YouTube.
Suleman Dawood and Shahzada came from one of Pakistan's most illustrious families. Hussain Dawood, the father of the elder man, said during the service on Tuesday that his son and grandson were gifts from God that God had taken away.
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Along with calling the two "martyrs," he added that "martyrs go straight to paradise." He inquired, "What does the father say" in the face of such tragedy.
Suleman and Shahzada were reportedly very enthusiastic about visiting the Titanic and persuaded Hussain Dawood that "we should go to Antarctica, too" prior to embarking on their trip.
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Dawood declared, "I'm actually convinced they have enriched our lives beyond measure. We will carry on their legacy." Christina Dawood recalled how she first met her spouse and their wedding in the eastern city of Lahore, Pakistan.
While her husband was joyful when Suleman was born, as with other fathers, "when he held his son for the first time, I just knew these two belong together," the wife and mother recalled. That moment, she had the impression that he had "found a long-lost companion for his adventures to come."