What to Do When the Ship Starts Sinking: Survival Skills Everyone Needs to Know

(Dan Tri) - In life-or-death moments at sea, a lack of survival skills can put the victim in a passive position, losing the chance of survival.

The capsized passenger ship QN-7105 in Ha Long waters has raised urgent questions about maritime safety, especially the escape skills of passengers in emergency situations.

Mr. Pham Quoc Viet, Captain of the FAS Angel First Aid Support Team, emphasized the importance of equipping with escape skills, saying that this is a key factor in increasing the chance of survival in the event of a shipwreck.

Need to equip with escape skills

"Many people think that accidents are rare. But when an unexpected incident occurs, do we have enough skills to save ourselves and our loved ones?", Mr. Viet shared.

Mr. Pham Quoc Viet, Captain of FAS Angel First Aid Support Team (Photo: Toan Vu).

The most important thing is to equip yourself with swimming and water survival skills (swimming proficiently, floating, keeping warm, overcoming big waves), basic first aid and emergency skills (treating wounds, artificial respiration for drowning people) and skills in using safety equipment (life jackets, life buoys, flares, walkie-talkies, compasses).

In addition, crew members also need to know survival skills at sea (making signals, collecting water, finding food, building shelters) and incident prevention and response skills (inspecting ships, understanding maritime safety rules, planning trips, and responding to fires and explosions).

Know how to escape

When you first board the ship, you need to carefully observe the location of the emergency exits, life jackets, lifeboats, emergency equipment, and listen carefully to the crew's safety instructions.

According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the US Coast Guard, the most effective response time is when the ship is still level or only slightly listed. This is the golden period for evacuation.

Rescue forces of the capsized yacht (Photo: Minh Khoi).

As soon as passengers notice any unusual signs such as water entering the cabin, the ship listing sharply, the engine losing control or receiving a bad weather warning, they should immediately put on their life jackets properly. The life jackets should be fastened tightly around the chest and between the legs.

Disembarkation should be carried out according to crew instructions. Passengers should move to an open deck area, keeping an even distance from each other so as not to put too much weight on one side. If there are lifeboats, give priority to children and the elderly.

Maintain body temperature, avoid cold shock

According to Mr. Viet, to maintain body temperature and avoid cold shock when falling into the sea for a long time, it is important to limit movement as much as possible by applying the HELP position (knee to chest, hug tightly) if alone or the Huddle position (hug close together) if there are many people.

Always keep your head and neck above water as these are the areas that lose heat the fastest.

Wear as many layers of clothing as possible (even if wet) as they provide a thin layer of insulation. Avoid drinking sea water at all costs and try to stay calm and control your breathing so as not to expend energy.

Minimize skin contact with water and use any available flotation devices to conserve energy. If possible, seek shelter or hold onto a large object.

Wear a life jacket and hold onto something floating.

"The key when encountering a sinking ship is to stay calm and put on a life jacket as soon as possible. Immediately after that, you need to quickly identify the nearest exit, access safety equipment such as buoys, life rafts and absolutely do not go back to retrieve personal property," Mr. Viet analyzed.

When leaving the ship, jump feet first, away from the hull to avoid being sucked in, and quickly swim away about 100-200m.

Many unfortunate casualties have occurred due to the psychological urge to go back to retrieve phones, handbags or luggage. This is a dangerous reflex not only in ship sinking incidents but also in emergency situations such as house fires or tunnel collapses.

The top priority must be to stay alive and get out of the danger zone as quickly as possible.

Notes when giving first aid to someone choking on water

This expert said that when encountering someone choking on water, the first thing to do is to quickly assess the victim's condition (consciousness, breathing, pulse). If the victim is conscious and can still cough, encourage them to cough hard to expel the water, do not tilt them upside down or press their stomach incorrectly.

In case the victim is unconscious or shows signs of respiratory/cardiac arrest, call 115 immediately and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if necessary (chest compressions combined with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation).

It is important to keep the victim warm after first aid and always take the victim to a medical facility for examination to avoid the risk of secondary drowning.

According to the Vietnam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center, in 2024, 1,118 people in distress at sea were rescued and promptly assisted by the Vietnamese maritime force.

Search and rescue work at sea is currently facing many challenges as forces and equipment are still limited, and the ability to respond to harsh weather conditions, especially in remote sea areas, is limited.

The increase in extreme weather events has led to an increase in maritime accidents and has greatly hindered rescue operations.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc/lam-gi-khi-tau-bat-dau-chim-ky-nang-song-con-ai-cung-can-biet-20250720122931514.htm