First Hand - Gus Cohen

Gershon 'Gus' Cohen

Third-class passenger

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Peter West [Interviewer]:
Now what about a third class passenger, Mr. Cohen? I think, Mr. Cohen, you had a bit of a celebration with the boys that night.

Gus Cohen:
Yes I did. We had a celebration with a glass of lemonade.

Peter West [Interviewer]:
Am I supposed to believe that?

Gus Cohen:
Yes you are. Some of my pals do.

Peter West [Interviewer]:
Did you get yourself a lifebelt early on in the proceedings?

Gus Cohen:
No. Not at that time. The reason was because we thought the Titanic was unsinkable.

Peter West [Interviewer]:
When did you really believe at last that she was going down?

Gus Cohen:
When the boat was listing. Then I decided to find a lifebelt. I found it very quickly, and then I went towards the lifeboats. I never had a chance to get in any one of them because the order was "Women and children first." As I was 19, I was out of it, so I decided to find my own salvation. I went across to the davit, climbed across the davit, which was a dangerous thing entirely, and went down the rope about 80 feet long and went into the water – into the sea rather.

Peter West [Interviewer]:
Sounds easy now, quick doesn't it when you tell it?

Gus Cohen:
Yes it does but...

Peter West [Interviewer]:
I bet you wouldn't like to do it now.

Gus Cohen:
No, not with this.

Peter West [Interviewer]:
I don't know whether they can see you lower down. I don't think they can, but they can imagine it. It's not as bad as they may think.

Gus Cohen:
Yes.

Peter West [Interviewer]:
Now was that lifeboat that picked you up eventually, was it full?

Gus Cohen:
No, it was about 25 people in it. The reason it was fairly empty as it was because the people on the boat never realized that the boat would sink. And not many people took the opportunity of going into the lifeboats.

Peter West [Interviewer]:
A greater risk leaving the ship than staying aboard.

Gus Cohen:
That's right, yes.