Who Was the Drunk Who Survived Titanic? The Wild True Story
Meet Charles Joughin: The Titanic’s Most Unexpected Survivor
The "drunk who survived the Titanic" wasn’t some nameless partygoer — it was Charles Joughin, the ship’s chief baker.
And yes, the story is absolutely real.
When the Titanic struck the iceberg on April 14, 1912, Charles didn’t panic. Instead, he did something very unexpected: he started drinking. Like, a lot.
But here’s the twist — he not only survived the sinking but also spent hours in the freezing Atlantic water and lived to tell the tale.
What Did Charles Joughin Actually Do That Night?
Helping others first
Despite what the "drunk baker" label might suggest, Charles wasn’t reckless at all in the early stages of the disaster. In fact, he:
Helped load lifeboats
Gave bread and supplies to passengers
Refused to get in a lifeboat himself (said it felt wrong to jump the line)
Then… he hit the bottle
After all that, with chaos breaking out and few lifeboats left, Charles went back to his cabin and — no joke — downed half a bottle of whiskey.
Like he just said: “Welp, guess it’s time.”
You’d think that would seal his fate. But weirdly? It may have helped him survive.
Why Did the Alcohol Help Him Survive the Freezing Water?
Okay, this is where science gets fuzzy. Normally, alcohol makes hypothermia worse, because it dilates blood vessels and drops your core temperature faster.
BUT… Charles Joughin was:
Calm
Relaxed
Not panicking
Floating on a lifeboat for a while, then paddling in near-freezing water for over two hours
Somehow, he didn’t even get frostbite
He later said, “I didn’t feel the cold as much as I should have.”
So yeah, maybe the alcohol numbed the shock, helped him stay loose and keep moving.
Doctors today would definitely NOT recommend it, but hey — it worked for him.
What Happened After the Rescue?
Charles was rescued by Lifeboat B, then transferred to the RMS Carpathia. He fully recovered and went right back to work not long after.
He continued baking for years, even served during World War I, and lived until 1956 — dying at age 78. Not bad for a guy who swam in iceberg water.
In interviews later in life, he talked about the Titanic with a kind of calm detachment. Never played up the hero, never asked for glory.
One story even says he offered tea to a steward while the ship was sinking. Classic British baker energy.
Did Titanic (the movie) Get It Right?
Kinda! In James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic, you can actually spot Charles — he’s the guy sipping from a flask and calmly riding the stern of the ship as it goes down.
It’s a blink-and-you-miss-it moment, but it’s based on his real-life testimony.
Final Takeaway:
Charles Joughin = Chief baker turned miracle survivor
🥃 Survived the Titanic after drinking whiskey
Spent over 2 hours in icy water — and didn’t freeze
🤯 One of the strangest, most badass survival stories in maritime history
So next time someone says drinking never helped anyone... tell them about the drunk baker who beat the Titanic.
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The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.
Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?
How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).
How tall is a average 15 year old?
Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years
| Male Teens: 13 - 20 Years) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 14 Years | 112.0 lb. (50.8 kg) | 64.5" (163.8 cm) |
| 15 Years | 123.5 lb. (56.02 kg) | 67.0" (170.1 cm) |
| 16 Years | 134.0 lb. (60.78 kg) | 68.3" (173.4 cm) |
| 17 Years | 142.0 lb. (64.41 kg) | 69.0" (175.2 cm) |
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Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.