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.
The Titanic: What Made It Sink. Among the key factors: the ship was sailing too fast, an iceberg warning was ignored and low quality rivets. A perfect storm of fateful events conspired to cause the tragic sinking of the Titanic nearly a century ago, according to a study looking at the math and physics behind the tragedy.