Check out my video here to see if I made it! The immersion suit is designed to keep a person as warm as possible in cold waters, greatly increasing your chances of survival in an emergency situation. I was happy to have the chance to practice putting it on.
To really practice these new skills, though, I changed into a swimsuit and we headed to a nearby hotel swimming pool. If there had been any hotel guests there, they surely would have been surprised to see us arrive with a full-sized life raft! Captain Russell yelled "Abandon ship!" and I jumped into the pool with my life jacket on. I swam about 40 yards, treaded water for two minutes, and then hoisted myself into the raft. I practiced deploying a sea anchor (which keeps the raft from drifting too far away from the scene) and holding up a special piece of equipment called a SART (Search and Rescue Radar Transponder) that would help nearby ships find me. I love to swim and the hotel pool was nice and warm, but in this situation, it was very easy to see how important it is for me to know what I'm doing when the water conditions are less friendly.
I know that the S.A. Agulhas II and its Captain and crew are very well trained, and that the likelihood of an emergency at sea during the Endurance22 Expedition is very low. For me (and for all members of the expedition team), though, being prepared for all possibilities helps to minimize our risks and increase the chance of the expedition's success. With my medical certificate and personal safety course complete, I now feel better prepared for our fast-approaching departure from Cape Town harbor! Now, onto packing!
