Ok. In the paper recently there was an article about two shrimp trollers who were at sea when a storm swept the boat, which contained only one life vest. It was discovered later that the two men battled for the vest, resulting in one man stabbing the other to death. In the end, one died and the other didn’t get the life vest, but rather had to tread water for hours until help arrived. Now to my question. What would you have done? Would you have gone into the “it’s him or me” mode or seeked an alternative? Remember, you’re being swept by a storm and the situation doesn’t permit you to tarry.
I guess the scenario could be changed and set in the mountains after a plane crash or something, but the boat thing is what inspired the post.
From what I’ve read about actual situations like this, most often the strongest would give the life jacket to the weakest.
I know, I know. I’m doing it again.
Peace,
mangeorge
One thing I do know is that if the other person was my fiancee, I would give her the vest in e heartbeat. In fact, to any of my loved ones, I would do this in most cases.
If it was a complete stranger or casual aquaintance, I honestly don’t know what I would do to be honest.
I’d probably give it up to a woman or kid.
Really, I think everyone would react differently and not be able to predict that reaction as stress and facing potential death has a tendency to change people - for the better or worse.
One thing i am pretty sure of - I would do my best to think of a way that we both could be saved if possible…
Yer pal,
Satan
I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR:
Three months, two weeks, six days, 2 hours, 16 minutes and 37 seconds.
4443 cigarettes not smoked, saving $555.47.
Life saved: 2 weeks, 1 day, 10 hours, 15 minutes.
Well what I would want to do and what I would actually do are possibly two completely different things.
I would like to think that I would be sensible and try to think it through . In your example if the two had worked together they probably would have both survived since one was able to tread water till help arrived .
In real life with a storm around me and panic setting in. My survival instinct might kick in and then it everyman for himself .
I realise that’s you where looking for a more definite answer but all I can tell you is how I would hope to act and not how I would as I’ve never been in a situation remotely like that .
My opinion is that it is adversity that defines who you are as a person. I would rather drown than betray the basics of who I am. I don’t know if I would just hand the lifevest over, but I wouldn’t kill to get it. If I felt I was stronger than the other person I may just let them have it. If I was weaker, I don’t know what I would do, but I would rather take my chances with nature than throw my principles out the window to live.
I would find the person responsible for not having enough life-vests on the boat, and beat them about the head and face. Not that this would help me survive, but hey, and least I’d go down happy
I make no pretense about being a nice person. Unless I knew and liked you, you had better kill me before I killed you. Morality is no good if it doesn’t help you survive.
Give the other person the vest if they were not a much stronger swimmer than I. Give myself a line attached to the vest. Remind myself how to do a dead man’s float.
How about a link to the story? Or at least to the newspaper?
You make it sound as if the guy with the life vest was killed in the fight and the other guy won the fight but had to tread water. If I killed the guy with the life vest, I would not have balked at taking it off of his body and wearing it. After all, I killed him to gain possession of it. Why leave it on a dead man?
As to what I would have done, I have no idea. I haven’t had to confront that situation yet.
