How to communicate if your mobile does not work and you are stranded

Start here — the basicsSignal with soundSignal with lightSignal where you areBefore you ever set outWhen the phone is dead or there is no signal, people have been found for centuries by simple, visible signals. The universal idea is three of anything — three whistle blasts, three fires, three flashes — meaning "I need help".Why this matters. A stranded person who signals correctly is found far sooner. Knowing these before you need them costs nothing.Signal with soundA whistle carries much further than your voice and saves your strength — three sharp blasts, pause, repeat.Bang metal on metal or a pipe in threes.Signal with lightA torch or phone screen flashed in threes at night.A mirror or any shiny surface flashed toward aircraft or distant people by day — aim the reflected dot at them.Signal where you areStay put once you have signalled — rescuers search from your last known point.Make …