SEAL Survival Guide (12 page)
Read SEAL Survival Guide Online
Authors: Cade Courtley
For instance, you must decide if it is worth returning to your cabin if your life vest is there, or instead forgo it and begin an alternate plan. Worsening circumstances may warrant heading to the bow, even without a life vest, or toward lifeboat stations, or at least toward a part of a ship away from fire, smoke, or the rush of incoming water.
Pull the Trigger
This is when the skills that you practiced in the mindset preparedness section, and the small daily drills you did to make yourself harder, will ensure your survival. If you tell yourself you are going to die, chances are you will. Your mission is to survive.
If you are inside the ship, get up to the deck. If you are on the deck of the ship, get to a lifeboat or raft, or get to a location of greatest safety. Again, this may sound oversimplified, but in this extremely terrifying situation, you must calm yourself and move with purpose.
Remember, I discussed how fast water can fill the interior of a boat or ship; for this reason, you need to make your way upward and outward. You want to get to the deck of the ship and work toward being as close to the waterline as possible. But if the ship is listing or leaning port (left), for example, then you go in the opposite direction. Since you made a situational assessment when you boarded and rehearsed your evacuation, you should remember details that will allow you to get your bearings even when the ship is lopsided.
Mayday
At some point it is important to alert the outside world—
anyone you can reach
—to give the status of your vessel, your intentions, and most importantly your current position. But if you aren’t able to give a GPS or radar position, utilize bearings and the distance of landmarks to help rescuers know the location of the boat or that the ship is going down. Mayday calls are always repeated three times and at a minimum give the following:
1. Who you are.
2. Where you are.
3. What you plan to do.
The mayday call is a universally accepted distress signal that implies that a vessel is in “grave and imminent danger.” As with many nautical phrases, the exact origin of the phrase is not totally verifiable, but it probably stems from the French command “
m’aider,
” meaning “help me.” (“SOS” was used when telegraphy was the only means of communication. The letters stand for “Save Our Ship.”)
In U.S. waters, channel 16 communicates directly with the Coast Guard and with other nearby boats. Most recreational boats over twenty feet in length are equipped with VHF marine radio. Information communicated via radio will allow rescue crews to calculate wind
and currents to help find you and gives an invaluable point of reference. If you are on a cruise ship, for example, and are within cell phone range, call 911, or call anyone you know. Even if you only leave a message on a voice mail, this can later be used to pinpoint the coordinates of where you were when you were last able to make a call.
Going into the Water
The most important action to take at this point is to do whatever you need to do to avoid drowning. Expect chaos in the form of screaming and panic.
Once the decision is made to enter the water, you should first attempt to do so in a life raft or boat. Your priority is to get away from the sinking vessel as quickly as possible. A large, sinking ship will create a powerful downward suction that has the ability to pull you under if you are in the vicinity. Help others out the best you can, given the situation.
If you are unable to get to a life raft or boat and have to enter the water by yourself:
1. Put on several layers of clothing. This will provide thermal protection against the cooler water temperature; additionally, the clothes will help you float and stay buoyant due to the air trapped within.
2. Place your life vest on the outside of your clothes.
3. Collect any survival items you can find, like water, small foods, or a flashlight and signaling devices. If you feel you may have a problem floating with the items you have collected, you can always wrap them in an extra life vest or even place them in a plastic storage container like Tupperware.
4. Find a clear landing zone in the water you are getting ready to enter. If you have the opportunity to enter upwind and avoid any potential smoke, do so.
5. Place your feet and knees together, cross your arms over your chest, and tuck your chin. Go!
As a general rule,
never
dive headfirst. Doing so risks greater injury to your face, head, and neck. Given that you don’t know what’s in the water, it’s better if you allow your legs to absorb the blow, and therefore increase your chances of surviving the initial jump. Keep your feet and knees together to protect your femoral arteries, which can cause rapid bleed-out if cut.
6. Get clear of the sinking vessel. Swim to a lifeboat or anything else that may be floating.
7. If there is fuel in the water, stay clear of it! If it is burning, avoid or swim under it. (This may require you to briefly
remove your life vest—either toss it to a clear section of water ahead of you or drag it behind you, utilizing the straps or any line you may find.)
WHAT WENT WRONG?
In January 2012, the Italian cruise ship
Costa Concordia
hit an underwater rock outcropping that breached the hull. The ship was in 150 feet of water and sank within 1,000 feet of the shore. Yet thirty-nine people died. Survivors related how the crew delayed reporting the severity of the situation and even told passengers to return to their cabins. Those who ignored these instructions and made it to the deck lived. In this situation, the passengers had lost faith in the crew. If you are in a similar situation, use your survival tools and follow your instincts. If the crew, instead, seems prepared and diligent, become a leader to those around you and try to keep everyone calm. Even if you are in the line to board a lifeboat, don’t let chaos set in, as this will lessen your chances of survival.
