RMS Titanic
In 1912, Behr booked first class passage on board the RMS Titanic. His main reason for traveling was due to his pursuit of fellow first class passenger Helen Newsom, who was a friend of Behr's sister. Newsom's mother, in an attempt to discourage the relationship, tried to separate the pair by taking her daughter on a Grand Tour of Europe, but Behr followed them under the guise of a business trip. Behr occupied cabin C-148 during the voyage.
Sometime after the ship hit the iceberg, Behr met up with Helen, her mother and stepfather, Richard and Sallie Beckwith; and another couple, Edwin and Gertrude Kimball, on the boat deck. Under the watch of Third Officer Herbert Pitman, the group gathered around lifeboat 5. Gertrude Kimball asked J. Bruce Ismay if all of their group could enter the boat. Ismay replied, "Of course, madam, every one of you." As a result, Karl Behr and his friends were rescued in lifeboat 5, the second boat to leave the ship. After the rescue, several newspapers reported that Behr had proposed to Miss Newsom in the lifeboat.
While aboard the rescue ship, RMS Carpathia, Behr and several other passengers, including Molly Brown, organized and formed a committee to honour the bravery of the Carpathia's captain, Arthur Rostron, and the ship's crew. They later presented an inscribed silver cup to Rostron, and medals to each of the ship's 320 crew.
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