Ice begins to melt when its surroundings rise above its freezing point, that being 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius). Depending on the salt content and the presence of other substances, that freezing point may be an even lower temperature.
Another highly probable cause of death was injury. Because some of the bodies retrieved from the water by the recovery ships had been too badly damaged to preserve through embalming and consequently had to be buried at sea, itâs very likely that some passengers died as a result of catastrophic injuries.
Therefore, Titanic survivors or victims' families only received a payout based on the value of the Titanic's lifeboats â since the rest of the ship sank to the ocean floor. At the time of the Titanic, ship owners were only liable for what's known as the casualty value of the vessel, Isaacs said.