🆘 Distress signals
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Three of anything is a distress signal recognized worldwide.
Open the guide in the app (works offline)Step by step
- Call your local emergency number (112 in Europe, 911 in North America): it works on any network with coverage, even if it isn't yours.
- Mountain distress signal: 6 signals a minute (whistle, light, mirror), one every 10 seconds, a one-minute pause and repeat. The reply is 3 signals a minute.
- Three whistle blasts, three flashes or three fires in a triangle are also understood as a call for help.
- In Morse code, SOS: three short, three long and three short (··· — — — ···).
- To be seen by a helicopter: on the ground, a large V means "I need help" and an X "I need medical assistance". Use colored clothing, stones or branches; the bigger and higher-contrast, the better.
- With a mirror or a switched-off phone you can flash sunlight toward a plane or helicopter.
Safety
- Don't make these signals if you don't need help: they call out the rescue teams.
Source: Alpine distress signal (international mountain rescue commissions); ICAO ground-to-air signals