How would you handle falling off a cruise ship?

Just the sound of that question peaks concern over the safety and security of passengers who are traveling via cruise ship. 

Sadly, not all stories have a positive ending, and getting stranded on a remote island, forced to live a life like Robinson Crusoe, isn't always possible. 

Although movies such as 'Cast Away' and 'Life of Pi' were successful, the reality of being stuck in the open ocean leaves much to the imagination (not in a good way). 

James Michael Grimes, a passenger aboard Carnival Valor cruise ship, went overboard and was faced with the challenge of staying alive in the open sea. 

"The 28-year-old told ABC's "Good Morning America" he didn't remember falling, only waking up somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico with no boat in sight. Grimes described the next 20 hours as a fight for his life spent treading water while fending off jellyfish and at least one unidentified finned creature. He made it through the night and the next day, until night came again, and tried eating objects that floated by, including a piece of bamboo." (Business Insider)

This prompted survival experts to come to the forefront and provide travellers with a few tips on staying alive if they are ever placed in this situation. 

Grimes was eventually rescued after being spotted by crew members. But some tips to adopt if you ever find yourself aboard a cruise ship include. 

1. Don't panic

According to Cat Bigney, a survival expert: "When people enter into a body of water, they usually damage their lungs right away, because they gasp. All of these factors make it very difficult for people to survive if they're adrift." 

2. Find something that floats

Prioritise finding something to keep afloat. Although staying afloat is possible by treading water, it can get tiring. 

Spotting driftwood or bamboo can help you stay afloat. 

3. Drinking water is a concern, food not so much

"Our bodies are perfectly, evolutionarily adapted to have this ability to fast for a long period of time, so he should have been fine as far as food," Bigney said, adding that "psychologically" it may have helped him, but "physiologically" his body was probably okay without eating. (Business Insider)

4. Make a signal for help, even it means using trash

Sadly, our oceans are filled with trash, if you are ever in this emergency scenario you can use trash to signal for help. 

"When an overboard situation is reported, the US Coast Guard uses a program to estimate where a floating object might be, Gross told Insider. The Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System factors in the person's weight, clothing, body fat percentage, and whether or not they have a flotation device, as well as weather and ocean patterns." (Business Insider)

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