Next to drowning, hypothermia is the biggest threat to your survivor after a shipwreck. This is because exposure to cold water will lower your body temperature. If your body temperature gets too low, your body will eventually shut down and you will die.  If you’re in the water with a flotation device and not on a raft, hug your knees to your chest. This will help maintain body warmth. If you’re with others in the water or in a raft, stay close together, and hug each other. Keep your clothes on. Even if they’re soaked, they’ll help maintain your body temperature. Next to hyperthermia and drowning, one of the biggest dangers on the open water are sharks. Sharks are especially dangerous around shipwrecks because they’re attracted to blood from injured people and by the fish that gather around floating objects on the surface of the water.   Avoid splashing around. This will minimize the attention that you draw to yourself and your group. If someone has an open wound, do your best to stop the bleeding. Blood will draw fish and sharks from great distances. Once you’re relatively safe and stable on the water, you should look start to look for land. If you don’t find land, you’re chances of survival will drop every day as your supplies slowly disappear. There are many ways you can find land:  Estimate your position based on your last known position. You can do this using charts, maps, or the stars. Look for signs of land like the presence of birds, driftwood, or trash. If you see birds, look at the direction they come from and fly toward. Try to visually spot land on the horizon. Depending on you distance, it could be hard to spot, but you should try. If you find yourself in need of water and have a few basic supplies, you may be able to create some. Take a plastic tarp and set it out across your raft or lifeboat. Use it to collect rainwater. In addition, if there isn’t rain, you may be able to collect condensation off of it in the morning. Never drink salt water. It will dehydrate you. Instead, turn salt water into drinking water. Whether you’re on a boat, floating on the water, or on land, you should try to signal rescuers as often as is possible. Without a signal, rescuers may not be able to spot you and other survivors after a shipwreck. Some methods of signaling include:  Shooting a flare gun. Depending on how many flares you have, you may want to save these for when you see a boat or aircraft passing in the distance. A mirror. Use a mirror to reflect the sun toward a possible search craft. A fire. If you’re on land, light a fire to gain the attention of rescuers. Building a sign or some other sort of structure on a beach. For instance, create a “SOS” sign with coconuts or driftwood.
تجنب انخفاض درجة حرارة الجسم. احذر من أسماك القرش. ابحث عن اليابس. أعِد ماءً للشرب. ابعث بإشارات للمنقذين.