The sister of the British businessman trapped on the missing Titan submarine with his teenage son says the ongoing rescue effort is “our family’s sole focus” as they face an agonizing wait for news of their loved ones.
Sabrina Dawood, whose brother Shahzada Dawood, 48, and cousin Suleman, 19, are among the five passengers trapped in the vessel thousands of feet below sea level, said the pair would be “as moved as we are by the support of the global community.” community’. .
Their desperate family, including Shahzada’s wife Christine and daughter Alina, await news of the two men – hoping in vain that they can somehow be found and safely brought to the surface before the oxygen on board runs out in less than 24 hours. hours run out.
Sabrina, a Pakistani philanthropist and education activist, shared sky news: ‘We are extremely grateful to press agencies for their efforts during this difficult time; your continued coverage of the missing Titan submarine no doubt plays a huge part in the world’s ability to access relevant updates on the matter.
“At this time, the sole focus of the Dawood family is the rescue of our beloved Shahzada and Suleman Dawood and we are unable to answer any questions or concerns at this time.
Shahzada Dawood, 48, a board member of the charity Prince’s Trust, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19, (pictured together) are aboard the missing submarine
This image shared by the US Coast Guard is the first from the search site, some 900 miles off the US coast. It shows Deep Energy – a pipe-laying vessel that has joined the hunt
“We trust that the family will be given privacy as we deal with this crisis. May Shahzada and Suleman come back to us safe and sound. We are sure they would be as moved as we are by the support of the global community during this difficult time.”
Rescue crews from the US, Canada and France are desperately trying to find the 22ft craft, which is believed to have last ‘pinged’ on Sunday while directly above the Titanic wreckage before the air on board died in less than 24 hours. hours run out. The submarine is believed to have enough oxygen to remain submerged until 12 p.m. Thursday (7 a.m. EST).
A French vessel with the only underwater vehicle capable of rescuing the submarine Titan – the Victor 6000, which can reach a depth of 20,000 feet – is racing today to where the craft went missing.
The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is tethered to a surface ship with a 2-inch cable, allowing the pilot to steer it from above using thrusters and transmit images from sonar and camera systems.
The ROV would require another state-of-the-art U.S. Navy system — a Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System (FADOSS) — to lift the heavy load.
The US Navy used the FADOSS to successfully recover a downed F-35 Joint Strike Fighter from 12,400 feet below the South China Sea in early 2022, meaning it could help pull the submarine above sea level if an ROV were to catch the ship. find.
The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) may be able to attach a cable to the submarine before it is towed to the surface by the Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System, a specialized winch that in 2021 succeeded in rescuing a helicopter from 19,075 feet deep.
And to raise the hopes of the desperate families of those on board, the US Navy deployed a FADOSS yesterday to aid in search and rescue efforts.
The FADOSS arrived last night along with remotely operated vehicles and a series of winches at St John’s Airport in Newfoundland, Canada, before taking off on a ship, the Horizon Arctic, to where they believe the Titan is.
But the ships with the heavy machinery are not expected to arrive in the search area until Wednesday evening, which is dangerously close when the air on board is running low.
And this plan to rescue the crew, including British billionaire Hamish Harding, relies entirely on rescue crews being able to locate the exact spot where the tiny ship is located. There is hope, however, that the craft can be found after a Canadian airliner heard popping noises at 30-minute intervals on Tuesday.
Pictured: The small submersible craft leaves Canada’s St. John’s harbor with the five crew on board
Today, the US Coast Guard released a photo of the area where the submarine is believed to be, showing the pipelay ship Deep Energy, which has joined the search. While it also has ROVs on board, they are believed not to be able to go deep enough.
Popping noises have been detected every 30 minutes in the rescue area by a Canadian aircraft with underwater sonar capabilities. This has led to new hopes that the crew of the Titan ship is still alive and is deliberately making noises against the hull.
Oceanographer David Gallo said hitting the side of the submarine to try and alert rescuers was something one of the captives – diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet – “would definitely do”.
Speaking to CNN, he said, “One of the wonders I have is: did [searchers] return a signal, acoustically, to indicate to the sub that we hear their signal? Sound carries very easily through the ocean… you would definitely hear it in the submarine.”
The Dawood family is among the wealthiest in Pakistan but has strong ties to the UK and Shahzada lives in a £3.3 million six bedroom house in Surbiton, Surrey with wife Christine, who works as a life coach, son Suleman and daughter Alina .
Their neighbor Ellen Maby, 48, told MailOnline yesterday she was shocked to see the news that Shahzada and Suleman were on the submarine.
She said, “They’re such a beautiful, beautiful couple and when I saw it on TV I was shocked. You can’t wish for nicer neighbors.
‘The children are so sweet and polite and Christine is so kind, she was wonderful to me when my mother was ill. They have lived her about ten years and we see them every now and then but to be honest they are gone a lot as they are a very transient family.
“We hope and pray that they make it out of here alive. It’s so horrible to think about.’
Shahzada is vice president of Engro Corporation, which makes fertilizers, food and energy, and Dawood Hercules Corporation, which makes chemicals. Shahzada’s father Hussain, 79, is chairman of both companies.
Shahzada also serves on the Global Advisory Board for King Charles’ Charity, Prince’s Trust. He is also part of the founding circle of the British Asian Trust.
The father-of-two also serves on the board of directors of the California-based SETI Institute that searches for extraterrestrial intelligence.
Shahzada’s interests include wildlife photography, gardening and exploring natural habitats, while Suleman is a fan of science fiction literature, according to a statement from the Dawood Group.
He was born in Pakistan but moved to the UK to study law at the University of Buckingham. He then studied for a master’s degree in textile marketing at Philadelphia University in 2000.
Shahzada had decided to take his son Sulaiman on the ‘Titan’ – the name of the Titanic submarine – for the five day journey with three others when disaster struck and they lost contact with the surface after they appear to be approaching their destination.