Hi,

The reasons for holding hands are that the aircraft featured does not have liferafts, other than the slides themselves. It makes it easier for the helicopter to find you all at once, as it does for the sharks. Er, maybe I shouldn't have said that.

Notice how the sea is flat calm at this point.

Holding hands won't alter your density. It is also a motivational thing, groups survive better than individuals who tend to give up and die from hypothermia, rather than fight on until the rescuers arrive.

If you see shark fins on the safety card, guess who was there before you...

Now, back to the dearest Pucci and her handbag, the reason is that it probably contains the most important survival aid at this point, at least in terms of remote rescue.

A mirror.

If you are carrying a mirror then there is a 95% chance of being located within 24 hours. We call them heliographs for signalling to search and rescue aircraft.

I guess that the automatic Emergency Locator Transmitters will change the statistics over time. But I like the mirror thing. Simple but highly effective.

Just been reviewing the Aeronautical Information Publication for Jamaica. What a hoot. In winter conditions, which I guess is only about +20C there, the book tells you that it is recommended to carry a rifle and ammunition as well as cold weather survival kit, including snow shovels. Now, the average ironmongers in Kingston probably either has a stock of some old snow shovels that they will gladly dispose of at a bargin price, or you will be locked up as certifiably insane. I suppose the bobsleigh team must have somewhere to practise...