Ivan Mazurak is believed to have been born in Imperial Russia in 1893.
At some time before the Great War, he had gone to the United States of America, probably in the course of work and had settled in Waterbury, Connecticut.
In the spring of 1915, however, perhaps because of the war raging on the Western and Eastern Fronts, he had decided to return to Europe. Accordingly, he booked third class passage on the Lusitania and leaving Waterbury by rail, he arrived in New York in time to join the liner at her berth at Pier 54, before she left there for the last time, just after mid-day on 1st May 1915.
Six days later, when the liner was torpedoed and sunk, within sight of the coast of southern Ireland, and only hours away from her Liverpool destination,, Ivan Mazurak was lucky enough to survive.
Not only that but he also helped others to survive as well!
Having found himself in the sea, probably after the ship had sunk, he was able to make for a collapsible lifeboat and took charge of it. This was mentioned afterwards by second cabin passenger Stanley Lines who was travelling from Toronto, in The Cork Examiner: -
We, fortunately came on a collapsible boat, and all got safely on board. In this boat were 43 or 44 by this time and it was splendidly handled by the boatswain, John Mazurok (sic).
The occupants of the collapsible were eventually rescued and landed at Queenstown and from there, Ivan Mazurak probably completed his journey to England and then to his original destination.
Cunard Records, Cork Examiner, Graham Maddocks, Geoff Whitfield, Michael Poirier, Jim Kalafus, Cliff Barry, Paul Latimer, Norman Gray.
Copyright © Peter Kelly.