HERE'S HOW MANY DEAD BODIES HAVE BEEN RECOVERED FROM THE TITANIC
By JEAN MENDOZA
History - Science
Just before midnight on April 14, 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg that tore into the ship’s side, causing compartments to rupture and flood with water before being completely swallowed by the ocean within a few hours. Of the 2,200 people aboard, only 705 people were able to escape in lifeboats, while the rest died in the watery grave of the Atlantic Ocean.
The CS Mackay-Bennett, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, was tasked to retrieve dead bodies following the sinking of the Titanic, as Halifax was the major port closest to where the ship had sunk. The recovery crew went out on boats to recover the bodies that were floating in the ocean.
After a week of searching, the Mackay-Bennett recovered 306 bodies, while three other ships from Halifax recovered 22 more bodies, and five more bodies were recovered by passing steamers. Of the 300-plus bodies recovered, 119 were buried at sea — either because the ships had run out of embalming fluid or the bodies were beyond recognition. Roughly 1,160 bodies were never recovered.