Cecil was apparently born with his amniotic sac intact which is often considered a sign that the baby would not drown.

He survived the disaster by jumping from the ship and pulling himself onto the upturned collapsible B. He was later transferred to boat 12 and second class passenger Lillian Bentham wrapped him in her fur coat to protect him agianst the cold.

He reported several incidents of passengers beign shot dead during the evacuation but was never called to give evidence at either inquiry. He never returned to working at sea.