Did Rose Kill Jack? 'Mythbusters' Settles It.

The truth finally came out on Sunday’s “MythBusters.” Could Rose have saved Jack if she hadn’t been so protective of her personal space?

So, what’s the answer to the question that has burned in our minds since 1997?

Yes.

Gasp!

First the boys determined Rose’s rescue time to be 63 minutes after the sinking of the ship.

“As for whether the board could have supported both Jack and Rose for 63 minutes, Adam first did a small-scale test using dolls and a board made of the same wood used in the film. The board tipped immediately and started to sink. Point for Cameron.”

Then Jack and Rose, played by Adam and Jamie, did a reenactment, adjusting the board appropriately for the change in weight.

“It took ‘Jack’ multiple attempts to be able to climb aboard and stabilize the board. But it sunk low enough in the water that drowning after loss of motor control would have been a danger. That’s when they tied Rose’s life jacket underneath the board, which raised it enough that they could position 80 percent of their bodies out of the water while resting on the board without needing to hold on. They made it 63 minutes.”

“With all we’ve learned, I think Jack’s death was needless,” Hyneman concluded.

If only Rose had thought to hitch her lifejacket to the bottom of the board! Why didn’t she just think? Such a simple solution!

So what did guest star James Cameron say in response?

“I think you guys are missing the point here. The script says Jack died. He has to die. So maybe we screwed up and the board should have been a little tiny bit smaller, but the dude’s goin’ down.”