- Cruises offer passengers the chance to relax and earn some extra income while traveling the world
- But there are inherent risks associated with being on a ship in the middle of the ocean
- Her tips come after it was revealed Parker had jumped ship this week
Cruises offer passengers the chance to relax and recuperate while traveling the world, but there are inherent risks associated with being on a floating ship in the middle of the ocean.
On average, 19 passengers fall overboard every year, of which only four are successfully rescued, according to a research agency industry study from 2020.
So how can you increase your chances of survival if you ever find yourself in a similar situation?
Expert Cat Bingey, from Utah, has done just that weighed in to reveal the best course of action to take if you ever fall overboard while on vacation – after it was revealed that 20-year-old Levion Parker jumped to his death from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship during a drunken argument with his father.
Expert Cat Bingey, from Utah, has set out to reveal the best course of action to take if you ever fall overboard while on holiday
It comes after it was revealed that 20-year-old Levion Parker, from Florida, had jumped to his death from a cruise ship
Levion reportedly jumped off a Royal Caribbean cruise ship during a drunken argument with his father
Cat, who has been a consultant for Bear Grylls and National Geographic, previously spoke with Business insider about how to act in such an extreme situation.
She said those who go overboard will likely battle a host of factors from the start, including injuries from the fall, rough water, hypothermia and even predators.
But the survival expert began by explaining that the first step was not to panic, explaining that this is actually “the biggest thing that will kill you.”
“When people enter a body of water, they usually immediately damage their lungs because they are gasping for air,” Cat told the newspaper.
“We have such a panic instinct to get air and when people do that, they put water into their lungs.”
The expert then urged people to find anything that floats, such as pieces of driftwood and floating debris, to stay above the water’s surface.
It would be impossible to continuously tread water until a rescue party arrives and instead, periodic bursts, floating and swimming are the way to go.
“Even a small flotation device will help you — something you can use with your arms around you or your neck over it, just to relieve some of the stress if you’re not a great swimmer or you have trouble swimming.” stay afloat,” she said.
According to a 2020 industry survey, an average of 19 passengers fall overboard every year, of which only four are successfully rescued (stock image)
Cat, who has consulted for Bear Grylls and National Geographic, previously spoke to Business Insider about what to do in such an extreme situation
Cat confirmed that the best-case scenario is that you collect enough to make a makeshift raft that will get you almost completely out of the water.
Elsewhere, the expert emphasized that it was more important to focus on food rather than water, as she explained: ‘Our bodies are evolutionarily perfectly adapted to have the ability to fast for long periods of time.’
Cat revealed that anyone who may have fallen overboard can go without rations for a few days thanks to reserves stored in fat and the liver.
Dehydration is a bigger problem because you also “don’t want to drink salt water.”
She recommended taking steps to conserve the water reserves already in your system, including protecting from the sun — using rubble or using your own clothing to cover your head.
Cat’s final point was that creating some form of distress signal increases your chances of being found.
She concluded candidly: ‘In the end it’s quite a grim situation, but people survived. And sometimes people just die.’