The Titanic was a luxury British passenger liner which sank in the Atlantic Ocean shortly after striking an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City. Of the 2,240 passengers and crew, approximately 700 survived making it one of the most tragic voyages in history. Here are some of the stories from those who survived the ordeal.

1. Charles Joughin

Charles Joughin was the chief baker aboard the RMS Titanic, earning one of the highest salaries of all the crewmembers aboard the ship. When the ship and the iceberg collided, Charles was off duty, but was ordered to send loaves of bread to the lifeboats before going back to his room to enjoy some drinks. He was later assigned to escort women and children to lifeboats and when he was offered a seat on one of them, he refused, after which he returned to his room to enjoy more drinks. Upon his final return to the deck, all the boats were gone, and the ship was beginning to sink. Charles, like many other passengers, jumped into the freezing Atlantic and he was able to make his way into an overturned lifeboat before being rescued. Unlike many other passengers, Joughin was able to spend hours in the water and survive. 

2. Ella White 

Ella White was one of the many first-class passengers who boarded RMS Titanic on its maiden voyage to New York. White was joined by her companion, her maid, and her manservant. Despite having access to some of the best amenities on the ship, Ella stayed in the cabin for most of the trip, only leaving when news of the collision arrived at her door. She and her maid were seated on Lifeboat 8, but her battery-operated cane was the real showstopper. Sources claimed that not only was her cane used to illuminate the sky essentially making them a floating life house, but it was also used to help search for survivors. 

3. Richard William Norris

Richard William Norris was a famous tennis player from Geneva, Switzerland traveling to participate in a tournament in America with his father as his companion. After the collision, the father and son duo, rather than try to escape the sinking ship, went to the gym to speak with an instructor. When the boat began to descend into the frigid water, Richard and his father had to swim for their lives and unfortunately Richard’s father fell victim to the liner’s forward funnel. That same funnel produced a wave that pushed Richard towards a collapsible boat, saving his life. Despite a leg injury, Richard went on to become an Olympic gold medalist and a 1920 Wimbledon men’s doubles champion. 

4. George Beauchamp

George Beauchamp seemed to have Lady Luck on his side as not only did he survive the sinking of the RMS Titanic but also the RMS Lusitania. It all began when he lied about his age to get a job as a fireman stoker on the ship. After the collision, he was allowed to leave the engine room to help women and children into lifeboats. He was then told to row the boat away from the sinking ship. He and everyone on the lifeboat were saved and after the RMS Lusitania was torpedoed, he decided to work on smaller boats for the rest of his days. 

5. William Carter II 

The entire Carter family and their pet dog were first-class passengers aboard the RMS Titanic sailing back to their home state Rhode Island. When the women and children were asked to board lifeboats while the ship was sinking, the Carter family made a strategic move to ensure that eleven-year-old William Carter II would be saved. After being denied passage because he was considered too old to be a child, William’s mother Lucille, who could not bear to leave her son behind, took her hat and placed it on his head to disguise him as a girl. William, his mother, and his sister all survived and Will lived to the age of 84.