Woman who nearly fell into water

[Matthew Bird]

I've heard a story (depicted somewhat differently in Camerons film) of a woman who tried to jump in a boat on the aft port deck, missed, but managed to grab onto the side of the boat, dangling in the air until she was pulled back into A- Deck.

Anyone think this is true?, if so does anyone know if the woman escaped in a later boat.

 

[Dave Gittins]

It's quite true. Here's a bit of my book.

At boat 10 there was more drama. A woman attempting to board slipped and fell between the boat and Titanic. She was caught by somebody on A deck and dragged back on board. Swiftly she returned to the boat deck and composed herself for another try. This time she succeeded, though the two-and-a-half-feet space must have gaped fearfully wide.

The witness was Edward Buley, at the US inquiry.

 

[Matthew Bird]

Thanks for sharing that.

Whoever caught her must have been quick.

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Four of the crew members working in and around boat 10 described (presumably) the same incident in testimony, with some variations:

Chief baker Charles Joughin:
Did you assist to get some women into the boat? - I assisted to get most of them.
You said you went down to the next deck to bring or try to force women up. Will you tell us - did you do that? - Yes.
Who did you bring up? - I brought up two children and the mother - and a mother and a child, and other stewards were bringing up other women.
What did you do with the children when you put them into the boat? - Handed them into the boat or dropped them in.
Threw them in? - Threw them in.
And what did you do with the mother? - We wanted to throw her in, and I think she preferred to try and step in.
What happened? - She missed her footing.
What happened then? - This steward named Burke got hold of her foot and she swung head downwards for a few minutes, but she was got into B deck. Somebody caught her into B deck - no, A deck.
Did you ever see her again? - No.
The children were saved? - The children were saved.

Steward William Burke:
I might say that about the last woman that was about to be passed in slipped, and was about to fall between the ship and the boat when I caught her. I just saved her from falling. Her head passed toward the next deck below. A passenger caught her by the shoulders and forced me to leave go. It was my intention to pull her back in the boat. He would not let go of the woman, but pulled her right on the ship.

Seaman Frank Evans:
One woman slipped and fell. Her heel must have caught on the rail of the deck, and she fell down and some one on the deck below caught her and pulled her up. Her heel caught in the rail, I think, as she was jumping, and they pulled her in onto the next deck. She was a woman in a black dress.
Senator SMITH. Do you know who she was? Did you ever see her afterwards? - Yes, sir; she came up onto the boat deck again, and then jumped again, and she came into the boat that time all right.

Seaman Edward Buley:
One young lady slipped, and they caught her by the foot on the deck below, and she came up then and jumped in.
.

 

[Christina Russell]

That must have been a terrifying shock to almost fall, and a two and a half feet gap? yikes.

 

[John Paul Galvez]

Who was that woman?

 

[John O'Malley]

Could the woman have been Ada West?