2 American Navy Seals are declared deceased today after one fell into the Gulf of Aden and the second one jumped in in an attempt to rescue.
I live in a landlocked country. Never really experienced oceans or the water.
The 2 seals fell during the night time. Pitch black. But couldn’t they just yell and the other members could immediately shine a flashlight on them? I know I am missing something here.
Why are chances of surviving very slim when you fall into the ocean? I would assume you can still swim. Is the main cause of death that you will be drifted away by the ocean waves and cannot be located?
Would chances of survival significantly increase if you fell into the ocean during daytime? Surely even with the naked eye you can still see the victim before they are carried off by ocean waves?
Thank you.
In: Planetary Science
Even in calm waves with someone that is wearing highly visible clothing, during the day, and even when you are expecting someone to fall in, you are damn near invisible. It’s like a “Find Waldo” picture that changes every second. Everything is moving, including you and the person you are trying to find. That is why if you are on the boat and actually spot where the person is, your only job is to stand there and keep eyes on them, pointing or guiding. If you look away, you will likely lose them again.
Sound carries well on water, but you are competing with a *lot* of noise. The motor on the boat, people on the boat yelling at each other to try to find you, the waves, and anything else.
If you are on a large ship that is moving near full speed, your position will be almost impossible to find again, even if someone saw you fall in.
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