Signalling with Light: How to Be Seen and How to Ask for Help

Light can carry a message across a distance. Knowing a few basics could help you in an emergency.

Being seen versus signalling

• Being seen means making sure others notice you: walkers, drivers, rescuers.
• Signalling means sending a deliberate message, such as a call for help.

Simple ways to be seen

1. Wear reflective or light-coloured clothing.
2. Hold a light in a steady position so others can spot you.
3. Move the light slowly from side to side if you want attention.
4. Stay in an open, visible place rather than in bushes.

The Morse SOS

The international distress signal in Morse code is SOS: three short signals, three long signals, three short signals, then a pause, repeated.

Signal	Pattern
S	short, short, short
O	long, long, long
S	short, short, short

You can send this with a light by switching it on and off. A long flash is traditionally about three times as long as a short one. The exact timing is less important than a clear, repeated pattern that shows you need help.

The rule of three

Outdoor safety advice often suggests groups of three as a call for help: three whistle blasts, three flashes, three shouts.

Practical tips

• Use your light in the dark, when it is most visible.
• Aim at a place where someone might be, such as a road, a hut or a distant light.
• Keep flashing at intervals, not continuously.
• Save your battery. Signal in bursts, then rest.
• Use other tools too: a whistle, bright clothing, a mirror by day.

Phone first

In most emergencies, your best step is to call the local emergency number if you have signal. Signalling with light is a backup when calls aren't possible.

Limits

A phone light isn't very powerful and can be hard to see over long distances or in bad weather. Combine it with other methods.

Keeping it simple

A torch that turns on with one tap makes it easy to switch light on and off in a pattern.

Get Night Torch →