Mr Erik Jussila, 32, was originally from Elimäki (near Kouvola), Southern Finland. He was traveling from Helsinki to Monessen, Pennsylvania and boarded the Titanic at Southampton.

Erik Jussila had been living in USA for more than 8 years in Minnesota and Michigan and had visited Finland where he got married.

Erik was awakened by the collision but did not go up at once. He rose only after his mate Johan Niskanen entered his cabin and warned him. Erik would later claim that before the boat was about to go under he had jumped into the water with his life belt on and swam towards the nearest boat. When he tried to get on the boat the crew man pointed a pistol at him and told him that if he had wanted to get on the boat he would have to give his life belt to one of the women passengers and then take up postion at an oar. However, there is probably some dramatic licence in this account. It is most likely that he boarded one of the starboard boats, probably lifeboat 15.

After his arrival in New York he stayed for a while at St. Vincent's Hospital.

References
Claes-Göran Wetterholm (1988, 1996, 1999) Titanic. Prisma, Stockholm. ISBN 91 518 3644 0

Acknowledgements
Meghan Gleezen, USA
Leif Snellman, Finland
Claes-Göran Wetterholm, Sweden

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