Any deaths in lifeboats

[Beckey Payne]

Did any of the passengers in the lifeboats (other than the obvious Collapsible B) pass away during the night from hypothermia or exposure? What about in the following days on board Carpathia?

Beckey

 

[Michael H. Standart]

I don't know of any deaths on the Carpathia several days after the fact, but I'm aware of several people having died in the lifeboats during the night. Of the five people picked up by boat 4, two, possibly three died during the night.

Most of the people who died had been in the water, and some had injuries from being on the ship when she went down. As cold as it was, and as poorly dressed as some of the passengers and crew were....especially the firemen....it's a wonder the death toll didn't go even higher.

Cordially,
Michael H. Standart

 

[Pat Cook]

I always think of Hoyt who was pulled into #14 and succumbed just after being rescued.

Best regards,
Cook

 

[Ben Holme]

Hello Beckey,

Aside from several unfortunates on collapsibles A and B, the passengers and crew who died from hyperthermia after being picked up by various lifeboats appear to have numbered 3, and were as follows:

1. William Fisher Hoyt (picked up by Lowe's boat #14)
2. Sidney Siebert (steward, swam to boat #4 but later died from exposure).
3. William H. Lyons (Able seaman, also swam to #4 but died either on the boat or later on board Carpathia - hence his delayed burial from the vessel)

Hope this helps,

Regards,
Ben

 

[Bill Wormstedt]

I also have listed:

Abraham Harmer (Hormer?), recovered from Collapsible B, identified by Dr. McGhee (from Logan Marshall's book)

Edvard Lindel, recovered dead from Collapsible B (Titanic: Triumph & Tragedy)

unidentified fireman, died on Carpathia

I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the above, just that I've noted the data.

 

[Peter Engberg-Klarström]

Dear everyone, re deaths in lifeboats. I have always wondered who the alleged fourth person picked by boat No 14 was. According to one crewman only three people were picked up, one of whom died, leaving two survivors. One crewman stated four persons were picked up, but that two had died. We know that steward Phillimore and one Chinese survived and that Mr Hoyt died. But who was the fourth person? Perhaps Mr Portaluppi, even though his story is a bit far-fetched.

What about Abraham Harmer? We don't know that he was rescued from boat B. Perhaps he was the elusive fourth person from No 14 and never testified to this because he passed away before being rescued?

As for Mr Lindell, I am not sure he was taken to the Carpathia and buried from there. I have a feeling he was left in boat A after he had died.
Mr Wennerström said that Mr Lindell died in the boat and did not mention him being transferred to No 14 (as far as I know).

 

[Pat Cook]

From the 'For what it's worth' column - Abraham Harmer's real name was David Livshin.

Best regards all around,
Cook

 

[Sue Bryant]

I'm looking into reports that a neighbor of mine was a crewman on the Titanic. He is not listed any where. But, my mother just sent me a copy of an article, which stated he was ordered to man a life boat. It states in this article, that there was a nurse, and two small children in the life boat he manned. One of the children fell out of the life boat, and the nurse jumped in after it. She and the child both died. Does anyone have any information on this happening? I am trying to find out which life boat my neighbor would have been on. On another site, I saw lists of passengers and crew who were on the life boats. There were a few crew members that were only listed by their job title, no name was given. If there is an unnamed crewman on the life boat the nurse was on, perhaps it was my neighbor?

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Sue, I would be very skeptical of reports like this. A lot of such tales come from family lore rather then any documented historical fact, and the story of a child falling out of a lifeboat with a nurse going in after seems a little far fetched. The only people who could afford nurses were in 1st and possibly 2cnd Class. The only child who died in 1st class was Lorraine Allison and she went down with the ship along with her parents, She didn't fall out of a lifeboat. All of the children in 2cnd Class survived.

The crew list here on ET is about as extensively researched as they come and if the name doesn't appear, then I'm afraid your man wasn't there. Bogus Titanic survivors are as thick as fleas.

Lester Mitcham has an article which documents the actual ratio of lost as opposed to saved at http://www.encyclope dia-titanica.org/art icles/statistics_mit cham.shtml You should find it to be an intersting read.

Cordially,
Michael H. Standart

 

[Jayne Rantall]

Well, I'm not to sure what life boat they were in, but there were three people, 2 from Ireland and another from (?). The 2 from Ireland were married and they were all 3 in 3rd class. the two that were married both died, but the 1 who didn't saved their wedding rings, and are on display at some museum. The wife slipped into the water while the husband was frozen to death. the other guy tied to help her, but to no avail. that's all i no, if you want more info on them, i can recommend a video from the discovery channel calle dTITANIC, VOICES FROM THE GRAVE.

 

[Ben Holme]

Hi Jane,

I believe the couple you are referring to are Edvard and Elin Gerda Lindell from Skane, Sweden. August Wennerstrom was their shipboard acquaintace, also from Sweden, who swam with the couple to flooded collapsible boat A. According to the story, the two men managed to secure a place in the boat, and Wennerstrom then attempted, unsuccessfully, to haul Gerda into the boat. He was forced to release his grip due to the numbing effect of the cold water, but somehow Gerda's wedding ring found its way into the boat, presumably slipping into Wennerstrom's hand as he released Gerda. He turned around, only to discover that his friend, Edvard has frozen to death. He was subsequently lowered over the side of the swaped boat. Wennerstrom survived.

When collapsible A was found floating in mid-Atlantic a month following the disaster, crew members found, in additon to three bodies, Gerda's ring, which was later returned to the family.

Hope this helps,

Ben