HELP posture and huddling

If you cannot get out of the water, the Coast Guard recommends reducing heat loss by drawing your arms and legs in to your body. It only works with a life jacket, because you need to float without moving.

1. HELP (Heat Escape Lessening Posture): cross your arms over your chest, draw your knees up to your chest, and press your legs together. It protects the armpits, chest, and groin, the areas that lose the most heat.
2. Huddle: if there are two or more people, form a circle, chest to chest, arms around each other, with legs interlaced. Put children or the weakest in the center. You share warmth, make a bigger target for rescuers, and keep each other's spirits up.
3. Keep your heads out of the water and stay still. Use the life jacket whistle to signal.