Christine Dawood had planned to go on the doomed OceanGate Expeditions mission to the Titanic wreck with her husband Shahzada Dawood, but due to the pandemic, the trip was canceled. She gave her spot to her son Suleman, who wanted to go. On Father's Day, Shahzada and Suleman boarded the submersible with three others, and communication was lost on June 18.

Christine and her daughter held out hope for four days before the US Coast Guard confirmed debris had been found, indicating implosion. Suleman, a Strathclyde University student, had wanted to break a Rubik's Cube record, and his mother and sister have vowed to learn to solve it in his honor. The family has held a funeral prayer for Shahzada and Suleman.