In April of 1912, Stengel and his wife, Annie May (Morris) Stengel, were returning from a European vacation aboard the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic. After the Titanic struck the iceberg, the Stengel reached the boat deck where Annie May was placed in one of the first boats to leave by her husband. He followed her in an emergency boat shortly afterward and the couple was reunited on the deck of the rescue ship Carpathia.