She Survived 6 Days in a Life Raft in the Gulf of Mexico

Maggie answers an online ad: crew wanted, free passage on a sailboat from Mobile, Alabama, to Mexico. Two nights out, in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, a cheap brass valve snaps behind the toilet and the boat goes down in twenty minutes. Maggie, the owner and a young first-time sailor climb into a small orange life raft with six little pouches of water. The emergency beacon blinks, and the owner swears the helicopter is coming in the morning. It does not come. Six days of sun, thirst and salt, a cargo ship that sails right past them, a shark under the floor, a man who secretly drinks the sea, and one last flare that has to be fired at exactly the right moment. If you had to leave your home in twenty minutes, what would you grab first? My book, the Urban Survival Handbook (water, deciding under stress, the first sixty minutes), printable, about ten dollars: https://urbansurvivalhandbook.netlify... What Maggie carried: Waterproof bag: headlamp, multitool, signal mirror, whistle, sunscreen, marker, 1 liter of water, 2 food bars, emergency blanket, phone (no signal) Raft kit: paddles, pump, bailer, sea anchor, repair clamps, knife, fishing kit, seasickness pills, first aid kit, 3 expired hand flares, 6 small water pouches What she was missing: Waterproof handheld marine VHF radio This is a fictional scenario. The safety guidance is real, but it is not a substitute for official advice from your local emergency services or the Coast Guard.