A former Coastguard navigator has issued tips to survive falling off a cruise ship, because, frankly, the odds are not stacked in your favor.
If you’re perusing the internet you might come across controversial TikTok takes like the Soft Guy Era. Thankfully, that’s not the only thing the app is good for. Amongst the silly dance challenges and morally questionable trends, you could actually learn something new, like the correct way to hold a pencil.
How to survive falling off a cruise ship
Despite thousands of ships heading out each year, it is believed that there are only 25 overboard staff and passengers annually. Still, it always helps to know how to survive a particularly dangerous situation.
The juicy tidbits of information were recently shared by Grace (@grace.mitscherlich on TikTok after she spoke to a former Coastguard navigator.)) on TikTok after she spoke to a former Coastguard navigator.
“Once you fall off you need to get as far away from the boat as possible. A lot of people are not strong enough swimmers to be able to do this,” she said. “These ship propellers are no joke, but that’s what is going to start pulling you under the water.”
If you manage to avoid the swirling fans of death in the water, you are one step closer to being able to survive falling off a cruise ship. Your next problem is going to be the time constraints, Grace said.
Even after the ship has realized you’re missing, it’s going to take them at least a mile to slow and come to a full stop. From there, they still need to locate and rescue you.
“On top of that you are going to need to stay in the exact same spot,” Grace revealed. “Think about it, there’s a current and a lot could happen. The ocean water is a lot colder than your body, so you’re probably going to get hypothermia.”
Even if you manage to stay warm and bob near where you fell, Grace said you have to contend with alleged “Grandpa sharks” who follow cruise ships looking for easy scrap meals. In this case, you’re the scrap.
“If you get dumped off a cruise ship they will think you are the waste. Your chances of surviving this are slim to none,” the content creator added.
Her followers were positively horrified
Of course, many of Grace’s followers were utterly shocked to discover the existence of Grandpa sharks and their taste of cruise ship waste.
One person wrote: “I went snorkeling in Disney World in a tank. All the fish swarmed me and nipped. I curled into a ball and screamed. I’d die before anyone even knew I fell.”
“I had a teacher who fell off a cruise ship and he always said to swim as far and quick as possible from the ship you fell from ASAP,” another person confessed, as a third said, “I’d rather let the propellers end me rather than being stuck in the middle of the ocean.”
