When at sea and with no help in sight, one can still survive the life-threatening conditions with a little improvisation and a lot of patience.
Here’s how:
1. Our bodies require a minimum of a litre of water every day to stay alive and balanced. Drinking small amounts of fresh water when in a crunch situation can help us to be focussed on our survival, although over time ingesting less water will weaken the muscles and tissues of our system
2. Never drink sea water in its natural form – Unless there is sufficient fresh water available, one should completely avoid taking in salt water. Experts say and we agree that drinking seawater will make us all the more thirsty
3. Don’t eat any food unless you are sure of the availability of potable water – Digesting food requires lots of water and if one is rationing it, eating a minimum quantity of food is the only solution. Besides, we can survive longer without food than water, so act wisely
4. In hot conditions, loss of water from the body which can be in the form of sweat should be avoided as much as possible. Keeping the body temperature cool by being in the shade and using seawater to cool off is advised
5. Collecting dew in misty conditions, rainwater in tropical regions and ice in polar conditions are a few suggested methods to contain potable water for survival. One can use a sponge or a piece of cloth to collect dew from the crafts hull and this can be done at night in foggy conditions. Plastic bags or other makeshift containers may be used during rainfall for a reserve that will be required later. One thing to remember here is that it is advisable to drink as much rainwater as possible, as it is very much safe. If stuck in the Polar Regions, one can melt the bluish-greyed ice and consume it as potable water. Such ice is normally devoid of salt and is ok to ingest.
6. Should you feel the need to eat, avoid taking in proteins such as fish or for that matter even dried eatables like biscuits as they require lots of water for digestion. Drinking urine should be avoided too at any cost. It is suggested to have fish for its aqueous content also. The bones and eyes of fish are a good source of salt-free water, which can be easily suckled upon
Improvising the available survival equipment can save many lives at sea. Moreover, with good knowledge, we can save many lives by finding and conserving water.