|  | Public Health Safety | Emergency Preparedness

Most Important Distress Signals to Use When Lost

Distress signals are sent when a person is lost or in some other type of danger. For those who are lost, the best distress signals are effective at getting noticed. Determining what distress signal to use relies heavily on the time of day and type of environment in which you are lost.

  1. Lights

    • Lights are a good resource for creating distress signals when lost as they are easy to used and usually reliable. A flashlight or strobe light can be used to send the well-known S-O-S Morse code distress signal of three short flashes, 3 long flashes followed by 3 short flashes again. While lights work best at night but can be substituted during the day with a mirror or other reflective device that can be see from as far away as 70 miles. The mirror must be held so that the reflected light from the sun can be seen bouncing off of the target such as an airplane.

    Noise

    • The great thing about using noise as a distress signal is that it works day or night, as long as someone is close enough to hear it. Whistles, gun shots and horn blasts can be often be heard several miles away. The standard distress signal uses three shots, blasts or sharp whistles in quick succession. Naturally you should avoid signaling with your gun if you are likely to need it to survive.

    Fire

    • Fire is another resource that can be used at night as well as during the day. On a calm and clear day, three fires placed strategically to form a pyramid will act as an international distress signal. It is important to build the fires on an elevated surface in a clear area where there will no risk of sparking a wild fire. During the day, thick smoke can be created by adding green vegetation, a car tire or foam rubber to the fire.

    Symbols

    • International distress symbols such as the letter V or X or even S-O-S can be displayed in a large clearing to signal planes. Use large rocks, tree limbs or even vegetation to create the shapes. Vegetation may need to be held in place with rocks to ensure it does not blow away. You may also have to clear an area if no clearing is available.

Emergency Preparedness - Related Articles