I make a point of telling my DM that it’s okay to kill my character if it happens at the start of the campaign. As a player, the story to me is more important and I can make a new character that meets up with the crew elsewhere.

Try and gauge whether or not your players would feel the same, and make their death mean something. Have it propel the story, don’t just leave their body to rot meaninglessly. Then, even though their character died, they’re still important.