More than a hundred years after the ‘Unsinkable’ RMS Titanic ended up at the bottom of the Atlantic, the stories of survivors, near escapes and tragic deaths continue to both fascinate and haunt us. As per records, less than a third of the passengers and crew members lived to share their traumatic experiences for posterity. There were a lot of people that survived and their stories of survival are as inspiring and fascinating as you can imagine. The shipwreck holds a lot of secrets even now, but the way people escaped death is incredible, to say the least. Here are some Titanic survival stories that can inspire you.
Ruth Becker
The story of Ruth Becker is inspiring as she was one of the youngest passengers who witnessed the sinking of the Titanic. Ruth Becker was 12 years old when she was on the ship with her mother and two siblings. Becker’s father was Allen Becker who stayed back in India (then British India) had planned to join his family later. When the gigantic ship started to sink, her mother and her two siblings managed to get on the lifeboat 11. However, when it was Ruth’s turn to get on the boat, she couldn’t as it was already full. Later, she approached the lifeboat 13 and asked a crewman if he could help her get on the boat. At this, the crewman simply threw her into lifeboat 13 and Ruth witnessed the ship going down, while people jumping into the ocean from the deck. Ruth Becker was one of those luckiest passengers who could reunite with their families.
Edward and Ethel Beane
Edward and Ethel Beane were a newlywed couple that was on their way to settle in New York. The cataclysmic night that Titanic hit the iceberg and started to go down, men and women were separated. The women with their children were forced to leave their husbands and fathers behind and get on the lifeboat. While Ethel was also getting on the lifeboat, the only choice for Edward was to go and jump in the ocean and start to swim. Edward was a good swimmer, so he jumped in the icy cold water in the ocean just like many others and luckily, he was rescued by another lifeboat. He was among the few men who survived the sinking and also reunited with their partners.
William Carter II
William Carter II was the youngest son of the Carter family that was traveling back to Rhode Island from a trip to Europe. When the ship started to sink in the ocean, the Carter family waited for their turn to get inside the lifeboat. However, when it was their turn, William Carter II, who was 11 years old was stopped by an officer, as he was too old to be in the boat. Her mother didn’t want to leave his young son behind and she took her hat off and put it on William’s head. William disguised as a girl and was rescued because of his mother. He lived till the age of 84 and told the stories of his survival to countless people.
Harold Bride
The story of Harold Bride was inspiring as he put his duty first. He was a wireless operator and assistant to the chief operator Captain Jack Phillips. When the ship started to sink in the ocean, he and Captain Phillips kept sending messages to the boats nearby using Morse Code. They were also responsible for sending the last messages of many passengers to their families back at home. When the water started to get inside the wireless room, he was helping people get out of the room and was washed away by the water. Luckily, he landed under a waterlogged boat. He got on that boat with fifteen other men and were rescued ultimately by RMS Carpathia.
Richard Williams Norris
No stranger to the world, one of the best tennis players Richard William Norris was also on the ship with his father. When the ship started to become submerged, he and his father started to swim for survival. Sadly, his father and many others crushed by a funnel that collapsed, and he was forced to watch that. Luckily for himself, the giant wave formed by the funnel took Richard towards Collapsible A and he was ultimately rescued by a lifeboat. His legs were injured but he survived all of that and later became one of the best tennis players.
While the story of the Titanic is particularly a haunting one, the other side of the story is equally inspiring. These survivor stories are proof that miracles happen.
