The Last Man Off The Titanic Survived The Disaster In The Strangest Way Possible

It's the early morning of April 15, 1912. The air over the Atlantic Ocean is thick with the sounds of chaos as the sinking RMS Titanic disappears beneath the waves. As the deathly cold water fills with desperate passengers, one man steps calmly into the icy depths. This is Charles Joughin – head baker on board the famous liner – and his story is one of the strangest to emerge from that fateful day. In the many years since the disaster, experts have debated how Joughin managed to avoid a fate that claimed so many lives.

Oblivious to the danger

Just days earlier, the Titanic had left Southampton to great fanfare – embarking on its maiden voyage to New York City. Said to have been dubbed “unsinkable” at the time, it carried more than 2,200 passengers and crew en route to the New World. But soon, they would find themselves caught up in one of the worst disasters to ever strike at sea.

Stranded out at sea

One after another, the lifeboats departed the Titanic – leaving men, women, and children trapped on the sinking ship. As the hours ticked by, those left on board were forced to face up to a terrible truth. No help was coming, and the only way off the liner was a leap into the freezing waters below.

The Carpathia arrives

Tragically, the Titanic had long since disappeared by the time the RMS Carpathia arrived to pluck survivors from the ocean. According to History.com, just 706 people survived the sinking – most of whom had made it onto lifeboats before the ship took its final plunge. But Joughin’s story is a different one, and it recounts how one man survived the disaster in the most unexpected way.

A highly coveted position

When Joughin secured his position on the Titanic, it must have been an illustrious appointment. The White Star Line ship was the world’s biggest vessel upon its launch in 1911. Weighing in at over 40,000 tons, the Titanic reportedly stretched almost 900 feet long and towered, in places, to 175 feet in height. And that wasn't even its most impressive feature.

Unparalleled luxury

The real appeal of the Titanic was not in its size, but in the sheer luxury that could be found on board. Boasting a vast array of libraries, restaurants, smoking rooms, and even a swimming pool, the liner offered its first-class passengers the opportunity to travel in unrivaled style. And naturally, many of society’s elite had opted to join for its maiden voyage.

Less glamorous conditions

Meanwhile, below decks, many third-class men and women on $15 tickets looked forward to a new life of opportunity in North America. But these people from both sides of the social spectrum were soon to be united in a terrible tragedy that would claim over 1,500 lives. How, then, was a lowly baker lucky enough to survive?

Smooth sailing at first

On April 10, 1912, the Titanic set sail from Southampton, England. It called at the French city of Cherbourg and then Queenstown, Ireland, before heading out across the Atlantic towards New York. And for the next four days, Titanic’s passengers enjoyed a relatively uneventful voyage. Yet just before midnight on April 14 the great ship hit an iceberg some 370 miles off the Newfoundland coast. 

Grappling with the ultimate nightmare

As water flooded into the front section of the ship, Captain Edward Smith received the unthinkable news: the Titanic could not stay afloat. And so, the order was given to begin loading women and children into the lifeboats mounted on the upper decks. Tragically, though, there were not enough spaces for everyone on board.

Slim chance of survival

Just after 2:00 a.m. the last of the Titanic’s lifeboats pulled away – leaving the remaining passengers to face a terrifying fate. At 35°F, the Atlantic Ocean was far too cold for anyone to survive in for long. But as the Titanic broke in half and began to vanish beneath the surface, those on board must have realized that they had little choice. 

The icy embrace of the ocean

The scene then descended into one of horror as hundreds of passengers were plunged into the freezing depths. Tragically, the cold soon claimed the lives of most who ended up in the water. Joughin, though, survived to tell the tale – thanks to some pretty strange choices in the face of disaster. 

An experienced baker

By the time that he set sail on board the Titanic, Joughin had already been a ship’s baker for more than ten years, according to the 1901 census. Originally from Birkenhead in northern England, he’d served in the kitchens of numerous vessels before winding up on the pride of the White Star Line. In fact, it’s believed that Joughin had been at sea since the age of 11!

An enviable position

Leaving a wife and two young children behind in Southampton, Joughin joined the Titanic as chief baker for its maiden voyage. According to The National Archives, he would have earned the princely sum of £12 a month – one of the highest wages on the ship at the time. At the head of a team of 13 people, he was responsible for producing fresh bread, confectionery, and more.

A level-headed reaction

At the time of the fatal collision, Joughin was actually enjoying some time off – dozing in his bunk near the ship’s engine. Jolted awake by the impact, the cook immediately sprang into action. The lifeboats, Joughin reasoned, would need supplies, and so he dispatched his bakers to deliver bread to the departing vessels.

An interesting bit of relaxation

This duty fulfilled, The National Archives noted that Joughin retreated to the safety of his cabin, where he allowed himself the luxury of an alcoholic drink. Suitably refreshed, he headed for his assigned lifeboat and began helping women and children on board. Though many passengers were reluctant to leave the perceived safety of the big ship.

Tossing passengers over the rail

Apparently, Joughin eventually resorted to physically throwing women on board the lifeboat – a gesture that may well have saved their lives. But unlike many male passengers on the Titanic, the baker did not claim a seat for himself. Instead, Joughin returned once more to his cabin, where he took another sip of fortifying liquor. 

Rising water levels

By this time, water had begun to creep in under the door of Joughin’s cabin. Seemingly unfazed, the baker made his way back above deck, where he began picking up chairs and tossing them overboard – creating flotation devices in the freezing ocean below. Standing on the stern, Joughin then heard a great crash as the liner broke apart.

One large step

But even this did not seem to dampen Joughin’s spirits. Gripping tight to the railings, the Englishman rode the sinking ship as it plunged downwards and simply stepped off into the ocean. According to The National Archives, he didn’t even submerge his head beneath the waves. Instead, the surprisingly unscathed baker apparently swam away from the wreck of the Titanic and into the history books for good.

Afloat for hours

For the best part of two hours, Joughin floated in the water as others around him succumbed to the cold. Eventually, as dawn broke, he spotted an overturned lifeboat with a huddle of men clinging to its hull. Although there was no room on board, he paddled alongside until the crew of a second vessel were able to pull him out of the water.

Rescued at long last

Just after 4 a.m. on April 15, the steamship Carpathia arrived on the scene and began picking up the frigid survivors. According to the National Post, Joughin was almost completely unharmed, later testifying, “I was alright barring my feet, they were swelled.” Though how did he accomplish such a remarkable feat, when so many others perished?

Liquid layers

The secret, it turns out, was in the multiple trips Joughin made back to his cabin – and the sneaky sips of liquor he took throughout the night. Haven’t we always been taught, though, that alcohol in the blood makes a person more, not less, likely to succumb to hypothermia? Well, the truth is a little more complicated.

Fortunate side-effects

When we drink alcohol, blood moves from our vital organs to the surface of our skin, and this leaves us vulnerable to the damaging effects of extreme temperatures. But Gordon Giesbrecht – a Canadian hypothermia expert and University of Manitoba professor – believes that in Joughin’s case, the freezing cold water would have caused his blood vessels to constrict. And this essentially would have reversed the effects of his drinking.  

Just enough to survive

“At low to moderate doses of alcohol, cold will win out,” Giesbrecht told the National Post in 2019. Though if all that alcohol did not give Joughin a physical advantage, then what was the key to his survival? Interestingly, it’s been theorized that good old liquid courage could have played an important role, particularly in the immediate aftermath of the sinking.

Overcoming the shock

According to the National Post, the initial shock of immersion into cold water only lasts for around a minute and a half. And at temperatures of around 35°F, the human body can actually survive for at least 60 minutes before running into serious trouble. Given that there were less than two hours between the sinking of the Titanic and the Carpathia’s arrival, why, then, did so many lose their lives?

An even keel

Apparently, many of the victims did not survive the initial stages of cold shock. Descending into panic, they flailed around – sending their body temperature plummeting and increasing the risk of drowning. Joughin, though, remained cool as a cucumber — metaphorically speaking — and that was thanks in part to all the booze that he had consumed.

Limiting trauma

Some experts actually believe that the relaxant properties of alcohol can help the human body to avoid trauma. According to a 2012 study by the University of Illinois at Chicago, those who get hurt are more likely to survive if they have been drinking. In a statement, lead author Lee Friedman explained, “After an injury, if you are intoxicated there seems to be a pretty substantial protective effect.” 

The lucky one

Giesbrecht also echoed this sentiment in his interview with the National Post. He said, “In an ER, cold patients who are really drunk can walk in and they’re conscious at a temperature they shouldn’t be.” So was it Joughin’s decision to drink that kept him alive while those around him were not so lucky?

An extra dose of courage

According to Stephen Cheung – a professor at Brock University – the alcohol in Joughin’s system likely gave him the courage to face the dire situation. He told the National Post, “It would also decrease his feeling of cold, so he may have indeed been more fearless and not feeling as cold and therefore as panicked.”

A big claim to fame

Because he remained calm, Joughin was able to eventually make his way to a lifeboat and survive the disaster that claimed so many lives. But that’s not all. On that fateful night, the baker earned a reputation as the last man to leave the Titanic. And experts believe that this delay might also have contributed to his success. 

Good timing

According to the National Post, delaying the moment of immersion is one of the key ways to survive a shipwreck. And as the very last person to plunge into the Atlantic that night – and live to tell the tale – Joughin is certainly evidence of this. By staying behind to help others, then, he unwittingly improved his own chances of making it through the ordeal. 

Overnight celebrity

After a short spell of recovery in New York, Joughin returned to England where he was reunited with his wife and children. And less than a month after the sinking, Joughin was called to give evidence as part of the official British inquiry into the disaster. Amazingly, his experience on the Titanic did not put him off of a career at sea.

Disaster strikes again

In fact, Joughin spent some time working as a baker on the Titanic’s sister ship Olympic before the outbreak of World War I. But clearly, he was not destined for a quiet life. While serving as a baker on the SS Congress in 1916, he encountered another terrifying marine disaster – this time in the North Pacific Ocean.

Fire and water

According to reports, the ship was en route to Seattle from San Francisco when a brutal fire broke out on board. Just as they had on the Titanic, the crew began loading women and children into the lifeboats. Yet this time, there was enough room for everyone – although Joughin still managed to add some drama to the situation.

Overboard once more

The Salt Lake Tribune newspaper reported at the time, “Charles Joughin – who was a baker on the Congress – fell into the water while attempting to enter a lifeboat.” Thankfully, the fortunate man was once again retrieved from the ocean unharmed. Though even that wasn’t enough to keep him on dry land for good!

Seeking a fresh start

The Encyclopedia Titanica notes that after the tragic death of his wife and newborn son in 1919, Joughin left England to start a new life in the United States. There, he continued to work as a ship’s baker on a number of different vessels – but disaster seemed to follow him. And on December 10, 1941, he was on board the SS Oregon when it was accidentally rammed by an American battleship and sank.

Another wartime stint

Seventeen people apparently lost their lives in that disaster. Joughin, though, survived yet again and went on to serve in World War II. Eventually, in 1944, he retired – having spent more than five colorful decades at sea. But despite his many exploits, he will forever be remembered as the Titanic’s drunken baker – and the last man to leave the infamous ship.

Literary fame

Though how exactly did Joughin’s story become one of the enduring legends associated with the Titanic? Well, most of it comes down to the work of author Walter Lord, who released a detailed account of the sinking titled A Night to Remember in 1958. As part of the writing process, he interviewed more than 60 survivors – including the ship’s baker.

His legend continues

Yet Joughin would not live to see his story immortalized on the page. Having been in communication with Lord throughout the 1950s, he passed away in a New Jersey hospital one year before the book was published. But thanks to the incredible tale recounted in A Night to Remember, he has gone down in history as one of the most famous Titanic survivors. 

Other unsinkable heroes

Of course, Joughin wasn’t the only person to make it off the Titanic with a story to tell. Take Margaret Brown, for example, who was dubbed “unsinkable” by the press. A wealthy American socialite, she is said to have taken an active role as the ship sank – demanding that her lifeboat return for survivors and even manning an oar herself. Then there was second officer Charles Lightoller, who found himself pinned to the wreckage underwater before a jet of hot air propelled him to the surface. 

Film portrayals

Of course, the story of the sinking has been told many times, with famous survivors and victims taking on a series of starring roles. And Joughin is no exception, appearing in both the movie version of A Night to Remember and the 1997 Hollywood epic Titanic. In fact, the story of the drunken baker is inextricably linked with that of the great liner – proving that survival skills aren’t always what we expect them to be.