Check List

• Stay clear of the airplane or ship (out of gas-saturated waters) but in the vicinity until it sinks.
• Make a thorough search for missing people. Carefully patrol the entire area near the location where the ship or plane went down, especially in the direction toward which waves are moving. Look very carefully - some people may be unconscious and floating low in the water.
• Inspect all debris that comes from the plane or ship. Salvage all rations, water containers, thermos jugs, parachutes, seat cushions, extra clothing, and maps. Look for raft supplies like the raft knife, signaling devices, and radio. Be careful with items such as sharp metal objects.
• Lash equipment to the raft or store it in raft pockets and kit containers where provided. Keep the containers closed when the equipment is not in use. Keep dry such items as flashlights, signal guns, and flares.
• Check rafts for inflation, leaks, and points of possible chafing. Bail out your raft. Be careful not to snag it with shoes or sharp objects.
• In cold oceans, wear as much clothing as possible. Rig a windbreak, spray shield, and canopy. If you are with others, huddle together; exercise regularly.
• Check the physical condition of all aboard. Give first aid. Take seasickness pills. Wash off gasoline from yourself.
• If there is more than one raft, connect rafts with at least 25 feet of line. Unless the sea is very rough, shorten the line if you hear or see an airplane. Two or more rafts tied close together are easier to spot than scattered rafts.
• Get the emergency radio into operation, if one is available. Prepare other signaling devices (such as flares) for instant use. Use these items only if surface vessels or aircraft are in plain sight.
• Keep compasses, watches, matches, and lighters dry. Place them in water-proof containers or plastic.
• In warm oceans, rig sunshade and canopy. Keep your skin covered, this is NO TIME to get a tan. Use sunburn cream and chapstick. Keep your sleeves rolled down and your socks pinned up over your pants. Wear a hat and sunglasses.
• Ration water and food (if you have no water, do not eat); assign duties; use canopy or paulins for catching and storing rainwater.
• Keep a log. Record the navigator’s last fix (if possible), time and date of incident, names and physical condition of personnel, ration schedule, winds, weather, direction of swells, times of sunrise and sunset, and other navigation data. Inventory all equipment.
• Keep calm. Save water and food by saving energy. Don’t shout unnecessarily. Don’t move around unnecessarily. Keep your sense of humor sharp; use it often. Remember that rescue at sea is a cooperative project. Search aircraft contacts are limited by the visibility of survivors. Increase your visibility by using all possible signaling devices. Keep your mirrors handy; use your radio whenever you see rescue vehicles.

Protection Against Exposure In Cold Oceans:

• Stay dry and keep warm. If you are wet, get down behind a windshield. Remove, wring out, and replace outer garments or get into dry clothing, if possible. Dry your hat, socks, and gloves.
• If you are dry, share clothes with those who are wet. Give them the most sheltered positions on the raft. Let them warm their hands and feet against your body.
• Put on any extra clothing available. Drape extra clothing around your shoulders and over your head. Keep your clothes loose and comfortable. Try to keep the floor of the raft dry. For insulation, cover the floor with canvas or cloth.
• Huddle with the others on the floor of the raft. Spread extra tarpaulin, sail, or parachute over the group. Take mild exercise to restore circulation. Repeatedly bend and open fingers and toes. Exercise shoulders and buttock muscles. Warm hands under arm pits. Periodically, raise your feet slightly and hold them up for a minute or two. Move your face muscles frequently to detect frostbite. Shivering is normal - it’s the body’s way of quickly generating heat.
• Give extra rations to those suffering from exposure to cold.

In Warm Oceans:

• Protection against the sun is most important. Exposure to the sun increases thirst, which wastes precious water and reduces the body’s water content. The sun also causes serious burns. Improvise and get under a sunshade. In rigging a sunshade, leave space for ventilation.
• Keep your body well covered. Don’t throw any clothes away. Roll down your sleeves; pull up your socks. Close your collar. Wear a hat or improvised headgear. Use a piece of cloth as a shield for the back of your neck. Wear sunglasses or improvise eye cover from cloth.

Care of Raft:

• Be sure that your raft is properly inflated. If main buoyancy chambers are not firm, top off with pump or mouth inflation tube. Inflate cross seats where provided unless there are injured people who must lie down. Don’t over inflate. Air chambers should be well rounded but not drum tight. Close valves tightly. Regularly check inflation. Hot air expands, so on hot days release some air. Add air when the weather cools.
• Always throw out the sea anchor or improvise a drag from a bailing bucket or a roll of clothing. A sea anchor will help you stay close to your accident site, and your searchers’ problem will be easier. Wrap the sea anchor rope with cloth so that it will not chafe the raft.
• Be careful not to snag the raft. In good weather, take off your shoes; tie them to the raft. Don’t let fishhooks, knives, ration tins, and other sharp objects cut the raft. Keep them off the bottom.
• In stormy weather, rig the spray shield at once. Keep the canopy or spray shield up at all times. Keep your raft as dry as possible on the inside. Keep it properly balanced. Everyone should stay seated, the heaviest ones in the center.