Should seawater ever be drunk directly to relieve thirst during survival at sea?

A. Seawater can be drunk freely as long as it is mixed with an equal amount of fresh water

B. Seawater is safe to drink in any quantity as long as the person is not already dehydrated

C. Small amounts of seawater are beneficial and provide useful minerals during survival situations

D. No, never — drinking seawater directly increases dehydration rather than relieving it, because the body must expend more water than it gains to process and excrete the excess salt, and it can cause kidney damage if consumed in any significant quantity

A. Cold shock response only affects people with pre-existing heart conditions and is not a general concern

B. Cold shock response is purely psychological with no physical effects on breathing or heart rate

C. Cold shock takes around an hour to develop and is identical to hypothermia

D. Cold shock causes an involuntary gasp reflex, rapid breathing, and a sudden spike in heart rate and blood pressure in the first minute or so of cold water immersion — this is actually a greater immediate drowning risk than hypothermia, which takes much longer to develop, because the gasp reflex can cause water inhalation if the face is submerged at that moment

A. A position used only when removing an immersion suit in calm water

B. A swimming technique designed to maximise speed when swimming towards a liferaft or rescue vessel

C. A position adopted by a lone individual in the water wearing a lifejacket — knees drawn up to the chest, arms crossed and held close to the sides of the body — which reduces the surface area exposed to cold water and protects areas of high heat loss (groin, sides of chest, head), significantly slowing the onset of hypothermia

D. A group huddling technique used only when more than five people are in the water together