One year since Titan sub disaster, mom who lost her husband and son issues desperate plea to others

One year ago today (June 18) a submersible containing five people vanished as it attempted to reach the wreck of the Titanic.

OceanGate's Titan sub is believed to have imploded on its journey, killing everyone on board.

The five who lost their lives were OceanGate founder Stockton Rush, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, businessman Hamish Harding, and father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood.

Now, Christine Dawood, who was Shahzada's wife and Suleman's mom, has spoken out as she marks the anniversary of the tragedy.

Ahead of the anniversary, Christine took to Facebook to share a photo of two lit candles in honor of Shahzada and Suleman, as well as a poignant message to others going through grief.

She wrote: "When people pass, they take a piece of you with them. As the one year anniversary is coming closer, I’m reflecting back on a time that nearly broke me, and yet the love and support I’ve received was, and still is, so huge that I can’t feel anything but being grateful. 

"I miss them every day, every hour, every minute, they will never be replaced. With these candles, I’d like to send their light to anyone who’s open enough to receive it. 

"I’d like to thank everyone for their love and prayers. I felt them and they helped."

She also urged others to do the same, adding: "Light a candle for the missing people in your life and send their light into the world."

Christine had previously spoken about her "complicated" feelings about the disaster, adding that Stockton Rush was "not my favourite person in this mess".

She said at the time: "Alina [her daughter] and I went on deck. Until that moment we'd had hope.

"We took some cushions with us and just sat there looking out at the ocean. We were both crying.

"I turned to her and said: 'I'm a widow now.' She said: 'Yes, and I'm a single child.' Then we cried even more.

"It's the waking up every morning that's . . . sometimes I still don't believe it."

Safety concerns had been raised about the Titan sub. Credit: David Ryder/Getty Images

Christine admitted that they'd never thought about the prospect of the vessel imploding beneath the water, adding: "The possibility of it [Titan] imploding never crossed our minds. To lose a husband is terrible, but when you lose a child.

"I love being a mother. I have Alina, but I never wanted to be a single mother to an only child.

"No parent should have to grieve for their child. It's unnatural. All of a sudden your purpose, your identity, is ripped away from you."

Concerns had been raised about the safety of the Titan sub, which had been piloted by a game controller.

The vessel lost contact with its mothership shortly after beginning its descent to the wreckage of the Titanic, and a huge search was immediately put underway as the countdown to when the sub would run out of oxygen began.

Rhythmic banging noises were picked up from the ocean depths, which gave some people hope that the five passengers would be rescued, however, the origins of the noises were never confirmed.

It is believed that all on board were killed instantly when the sub imploded from the vast pressure of the ocean, and debris was later found belonging to the vessel.

Featured image credit: OceanGate