During the sinking, he tried to flee to a higher deck as the ship began to sink. He accidentally came across a desperate Rose DeWitt Bukater and Jack Dawson, who were trapped behind a metal gate as the water rose to dangerous levels. The steward almost abandoned them but felt sorry and decided to unlock the gate. However, he dropped the keys in a hurry. Unable to find them, he fled before the water rose too high, abandoning Jack & Rose who had to find the keys themselves.