According to TMZ, the passengers were engulfed in darkness the entire time they were inside the Titan submersible while descending into the depths of the North Atlantic Ocean to view the wreckage of the Titanic on June 18, according to the New York Times.

Christine Dawood, whose husband Shahzada and son Suleman also perished, told the NYT, Rush turned off all the floodlights on the way down to the ocean floor to conserve battery power for the tour of the Titanic, leaving the passengers in almost total darkness.

Dawood said the only light in the sub came from glowing marine organisms, such as flaming fungus, shimmering squid, and flashing fish. She noted laptop computer screens provided slightly more illumination, but that was it.

Christine also said OceanGate recommended the passengers download their favorite tunes onto their phones so they could listen to the tracks on a Bluetooth speaker for what was supposed to be a four-hour expedition. Country music, though, was barred from everyone’s playlist. We continue to pray for the victims.