Seasickness

Medical Problems Associated With Sea Survival

Birds

Helpful Fishing Hints

Your fishing should be successful if you remember the following important hints:

• Be extremely careful with fish that have teeth and spines.
• Cut a large fish loose rather than risk capsizing the raft. Try to catch small rather than large fish.
• Do not puncture your raft with hooks or other sharp instruments.
• Do not fish when large sharks are in the area.
• Watch for schools of fish; try to move close to these schools.
• Fish at night using a light. The light attracts fish.
• In the daytime, shade attracts some fish. You may find them under your raft.
• Improvise a spear by tying a knife to an oar blade. This spear can help you catch larger fish, but you must get them into the raft quickly or they will slip off the blade. Also, tie the knife very securely or you may lose it.
• Always take care of your fishing equipment. Dry your fishing lines, clean and sharpen the hooks, and do not allow the hooks to stick into the fishing lines.

As stated in Chapter 8, all birds are edible. Eat any birds you can catch. Sometimes birds may land on your raft, but usually they are cautious. You may be able to attract some birds by towing a bright piece of metal behind the raft. This will bring the bird within shooting range, provided you have a firearm.

If a bird lands within your reach, you may be able to catch it. If the birds do not land close enough or land on the other end of the raft, you may be able to catch them with a bird noose. Bait the center of the noose and wait for the bird to land. When the bird's feet are in the center of the noose, pull it tight.

Use all parts of the bird. Use the feathers for insulation, the entrails and feet for bait, and so on. Use your imagination.

At sea, you may become seasick, get saltwater sores, or face some of the same medical problems that occur on land, such as dehydration or sunburn. These problems can become critical if left untreated.

Seasickness is the nausea and vomiting caused by the motion of the raft. It can result in--

• Extreme fluid loss and exhaustion.
• Loss of the will to survive.
• Others becoming seasick.
• Attraction of sharks to the raft.
• Unclean conditions.

To treat seasickness--

• Wash both the patient and the raft to remove the sight and odor of vomit.
• Keep the patient from eating food until his nausea is gone.
• Have the patient lie down and rest.
• Give the patient seasickness pills if available. If the patient is unable to take the pills orally, insert them rectally for absorption by the body.

Note: Some survivors have said that erecting a canopy or using the horizon as a focal point helped overcome seasickness. Others have said that swimming alongside the raft for short periods helped, but extreme care must be taken if swimming.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-23