What to Do If You’re in a Shipwreck

Survive

What’s not to enjoy about being stuck with a movie star? The iconic 1960s television show “Gilligan’s Island” makes you wonder why anyone would desire to be rescued from a desert island catastrophe. A real-life shipwreck, however, is not a sitcom.

Every year, there are accounts of people who have survived shipwrecks. Some make it to an island, while others float for days, weeks, or even months on dinghies or life rafts. You may do actions if you are a victim of a shipwreck to improve your chances of survival and, eventually, rescue. It’s hard to say how many wrecks have occurred throughout history, but Northern Maritime Research has collected a list of approximately 100,000 in the last 400 years [source: NMR].

There are two options for surviving a shipwreck: adrift at sea or stranded on an island.

The island situation is preferable in many respects since you have a better chance of obtaining food and water. You also have the advantage of building a fire and locating shelter. Being on an island has the disadvantage of not being able to move. If you’re in a dinghy or life raft, you have a higher chance of being noticed by a plane or another boat or drifting to an inhabited island.

Getting Lost at Sea

The Winslow Life Raft Company’s deluxe model, Ocean Rescue raft, comes with everything you’ll need to survive your marine struggle.
The Winslow Life Raft Company’s deluxe model, Ocean Rescue raft, comes with everything you’ll need to survive your marine struggle.
IMAGE CREDIT: WINSLOW LIFE RAFT COMPANY WINSLOW LIFE RAFT COMPANY WINSLOW LIFE RAF
You must act quickly if your ship is sinking. Prepare your life raft by gathering as much food and water as possible. If you have time, you should pick up the following extras:

Batteries for flashlights Two-way radio
Sunscreen Matches Mirror Flares First-aid kit

The good news is that life rafts have come a long way from their humble beginnings as small rubber boats. Tall walls, coverings, paddles, insulated floors, bailing buckets, ladders, and a range of emergency goods like flares, water pouches, signaling mirrors, reflective tape, and fishing kits are all standard features on modern life rafts. A good life raft isn’t cheap; in today’s market, a luxury four-person model costs around $4,000.

The manufacturer packs life rafts, and they need to be serviced regularly to keep them usable. Even the most costly life rafts, however, are not necessarily leak-proof. The ocean may be rough on a tiny boat, and you can find yourself with water in your haven. Pumps and repair kits are included with all contemporary rafts for this reason. You’ll also utilize your bailer to assist dump the water from your raft.