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Swimming Through Flames - 12018_505
Life Preservers

Basic Military Requirements (BMR) - Requirement for military advancement
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5.  Swim as far underwater as possible. 6.   When you must come up for air, extend your arms above your head, then pull them back in a wide sweep to force the upper part of your body above the surface. 7.  When you surface, use your hands and arms to make  wide  sweeping  movements  across  the surface to splash the water and drive away the flames. NOTE As you pop up above the surface, try to turn your back to the wind before you take a breath. 8.  Submerge  again  feet  first,  and  repeat  the procedure until you’re clear of the burning oil. When going into oil that isn’t burning, save your preserver to use as a raft. Keep your face above the surface. Keeping your head above the surface helps keep oil from getting into your eyes and mouth. AIDS FOR STAYING AFLOAT.—If you’re in the water without a life jacket, don’t become frightened that you can’t stay afloat—you can. Several articles of clothing,  including  the  white  hat,  provide  some flotation when used properly. The most useful article is your trousers or slacks, which you can inflate to serve as water wings. 1.  To remove your trousers, lean forward in the water and slowly slip them down over your hips and legs. Don’t let go of them—they may sink. To inflate your trousers— 2.  Zip them; then float them on the surface with the fly or front turned down. 3.  Tie a knot in each leg as close to the cuff as possible. 4.  Work the garment around on the surface until the legs are over your shoulders and the knots are behind you, leaving the crotch in front of you. 5.  Grasp the waist of the trousers with one hand on each  side;  then  extend  your  arms  straight upward, kicking your feet to get your body as high out of the water as you can. 6.  When this position is reached, pull the trousers downward smartly on the surface, trapping a pocket of air in each leg. 7.  Then gather the waist under the water and hold in one hand (fig. 15-3). Keep the trousers legs wet by splashing water on them to reduce the loss of the trapped air. You may use mattress covers, sea bags, laundry bags,  and  pillowcases  in  a  similar  manner.  A  large amount of debris, such as pieces of wood, empty shell boxes, powder cans, and so forth, is usually present. You can use this debris to stay afloat. SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT The two basic categories of flotation devices are life preservers and lifeboats. Each is vital to the survival of a ship’s crew if the ship sinks. Other than the lifeboat, the life preserver (commonly called a life jacket) is the most important piece of abandon ship equipment. The  inherently  buoyant  (vest-type)  preserver  is designed so that, if adjusted properly, it supports you and keeps your head out of the water even if you are unconscious. With a life preserver on, you can stay afloat for many days. Without a life preserver, you have little chance of surviving in the water for any great length of time. The lifeboat presents the greatest chance of survival because it contains food and water, provides shelter from the elements, and contains equipment that greatly 15-4 Student Notes: Figure 15-3.—Using inflated trousers/slacks for support.







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