Suleman Dawood was "terrified" to go on the Titanic tourist sub trip that would eventually claim his life, according to his aunty.
The 19-year-old was reportedly reluctant to go, but eager to please his Titanic enthusiast dad Shahzada Dawood as the trip fell on Father's Day weekend.
Shahzada is a prominent businessman in Pakistan, which is how the family could afford the US$250,000 price tag for a seat on the trip.
Azmeh Dawood — the older sister of Shahzada — told NBC News that her nephew Suleman told a relative that he "wasn't very up for it" and felt "terrified" about the long trip down to the Titanic in the OceanGate sub.
"I am thinking of Suleman, who is 19, in there, just perhaps gasping for breath... It's been crippling, to be honest," Azmeh said.
She added Suleman went to make his dad happy as he was fascinated with Titanic lore. The trip also fell on Father's Day in North America where the team left from.
Azmeh was left "devastated" today upon hearing the news debris from the Titan sub had been discovered and the five people onboard likely died instantly when the submersible imploded.
"I feel disbelief It's an unreal situation," she told NBC news.
"I feel like I've been caught in a really bad film, with a countdown, but you didn't know what you're counting down to. I personally have found it kind of difficult to breathe thinking of them."
The family's business Dawood Hercules Corp., has investments in agriculture, the health sector and other industries.
Shahzada was also an adviser to Prince's Trust International, a charitable organisation founded by King Charles III.
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