“If you try to run, I’ll kill all your animals… your pet dog… and then myself – right in front of your eyes!”
Two days earlier, the 16-year-old girl was with her parents at a North Carolina campground.
Now traveling on a Kentucky interstate – lured away and taken prisoner by 61-year-old James Herbert Brick – she wondered if she would ever see her family again.
But she knew her own life was in more immediate danger – yet there was no telling if anyone would be looking for her so far from home.
She was on her own.
She began looking for ways to escape without alerting her captor.
The Young Girl Stared Out The Passenger Side Window – Scared To Death Her Captor Would Make Good On His Promise
Suddenly She Remembered A “Silent Signaling Trick” As A Passing Motorist Looked Her Way…
The girl’s opportunity came when she remembered a silent “distress signal” she had discovered online – a hand sign that was meant to be a secret warning to observers that you’re a victim of violence.
The simple hand-gesture came from a viral Tik Tok video that instructed victims to first create an open hand… then curl your thumb into your palm… and finally fold all of your fingers over top of your thumb to communicate you are “trapped”.
The passing motorist recognized the distress signal and quickly called 911 to alert local police of the girl’s gesture and the vehicle’s location.
Within minutes, an officer was pulling Brick’s car over and the girl ran out of the car as police apprehended the man, arresting him for unlawful imprisonment and possession of child pornography on his phone.
How “Silent Communication” Can Save Your Life In A Crisis – And The 5 Military Signal Methods Every Prepared Citizen Should Know…
There are times when communicating
As an Army “Forward Observer” for the infantry, we often had to use other methods to communicate to our team members around us – or even from miles away.
Most of the time, that communication was through our radios – but not always…
In “hostile territory”, making even the slightest sound could put your life – and the lives of your team members – in jeopardy.
In other words, silence isn’t just “golden”… it can be a literal life–saver!
Any one of these five signals could save your life in a real emergency – whether that’s an abduction, a home invasion, or you’re lost in your car or on foot in the middle of nowhere – and you don’t have to be a soldier to make them part of your own “escape plan”.
Tactical Hand Signals
Just as this resourceful 16-year-old girl was able to silently communicate the danger she was in with a hand gesture made popular by a viral video, soldiers learn a variety of tactical hand signals for alerting fellow team members of a nearby threat, or give each other directions for where and how to move in relation to the mission objective.
When “stealth” is needed, these same types of hand signals can be useful for when you’re stalking game with a hunting party… moving into an observation position without being noticed… or directing movement of your family while trying to escape an active shooter in a building or evade hostile looters during civil unrest.
Morse Code
When applying for Special Forces, I had to learn the common Morse Code to be able to communicate long distances – or signal for help – when radio communications weren’t available or desired.
So let me tell you right now…
…learning morse code is NOT the easiest thing in the world!
Fortunately, the only code you most likely would ever have to use is the universal “SOS” pattern of three “dots”, followed by three “dashes”, and then again by three “dots”.
This can be done audibly by tapping on a wall or pipe if you’re trapped in a building… or visually if you want to silently alert others of danger (like as a kidnapper is video taping you) by blinking your eyelids or with a flashlight beam.
Chem-Lite “Spinner”
No self-respecting soldier would ever be caught dead without packing several “chem-lites” in their rucksack.
These chemical wonders are instantly illuminated by simply bending them to crack the internal ampule that mixes the ingredients to create a 12-hour “glow” that’s not as obvious as a flashlight – but bright enough to read your map without giving away your position.
But sometimes you DO want to be seen, right?
For example, I keep a white chem-lite attached to my Individual First-Aid Kit (IFAK) as a backup to my flashlight if I’m administering aid to an injured person (or myself) if I’m so unlucky that my light is broken or my battery is dead.
Plus, whether you are trying to signal your whereabouts to a rescue team, or you’re trying to guide first responders to your location, there’s a way to instantly boost your chem-lite’s power with a simple piece of “550” paracord…
Nearly every chem-lite has a hole at the end of it and by attaching an arm’s-length of paracord to it, you can spin it in a circle to create a much larger light display that will grab the attention of anyone in the area looking your way.
Signal Mirror (Easy To Improvise!)
The common “survival mirror” should be part of every survival kit – and has been a tried and true signaling device ever since man learned how to reflect the sun.
Reflected light can be seen for several miles and by looking through the small center hole of the mirror while putting your intended target between your two fingers (spread in a “V” shape), you can easily angle the mirror to find the sun’s reflection and move it back and forth across your fingers to grab your target’s attention as it flickers and shines toward them.
This method works so well that you can even improvise a signal mirror using the top of a tin can, a broken piece of glass with some scavenged aluminum foil behind it… or even by taking apart a kid’s “juice pouch” to expose the shiny mylar material inside.
“Military-Strength” Laser
In the military, we use lasers for all sorts of purposes – from determining distance to a target, to “spotting” a target for snipers and laser-guided munitions, or even just pointing out mission plans during an Operations Order.
But for the prepared citizen, a powerful enough laser can truly be a life-saver…
(Just to be clear, I’m not talking about the little red “pointer” laser you use for company presentations or to screw with your cat or dog. The “military-strength” laser I carry is as bright as a Star Wars light saber, can be seen as far away as 12 miles, and the beam is so tight that it can even start a fire in an emergency.)
In the past, I’ve shown you how this type of a laser can be used to signal responding police in a home invasion and the “distortion cover” mine came with creates a weird kaleidoscope effect that disoriented me so much when I first used it that it almost made me fall over.
You can use this type of a laser for signaling fellow team members from far, far away… starting a fire without matches… or to be rescued by search parties who can see the beam by air, land, or sea.
Now, be warned that it’s illegal to shine the beam of these types of powerful lasers at any aircraft (which is why there’s always the threat of them being banned by the government), but in an emergency, I think getting rescued is far more of a concern.
Besides, these lasers are so powerful that you don’t even have to shine it in someone’s eyes to notice you and it has a “splatter effect” when it hits a windshield of a vehicle, helicopter, or other craft that’s hard to miss.
Signal Like Your Life Depends On It… Because It Just May One Day!
“Survival” isn’t always about going covert and avoiding detection.
Someday your life may depend on being found by a search and rescue team – and all successful searches end the same way…
… with someone spotting you.
Whether you are signaling out the window of a burning building to firefighters… triggering an operation with your team members… lost in the wilderness… or adrift at sea…
The bottom like fact is that you need to be seen in order to pull through – and that’s harder than you think.
These signaling techniques and gear will help get you home alive.
What Signal Devices Do You Carry In Your Bugout Bag Or Everyday Carry Bag? Please Share Your Personal Advice Below Now…
Hello,like to learn tactical hand signals.Thanks,alan
Want to learn Tactical Hand Signals
Yes. I can see that tactical hand signals would be a good thing to know.
I agree with Robert and Alan on learning tactical hand signals! Perhaps you could offer a class on that? Your information and products you promote are rock solid. Thank you Jeff for that! Several years ago I saw a photograph of an active duty service person photographed next to a politician and the service person was making a hand gesture that was said to mean that the picture with the politician was taken without them agreeing to being photographed with this particular politician. A photo under duress so to speak 😉 With a plethora of misinformation on the internet it would be great to know the TRUE meaning of the various tactical hand gestures.
Check out the famous photo of American captives being held by the North Vietnamese with their “Hawaiian good luck sign”. 3 Guys in the front row extending their middle finger – letting viewers know that it was a forced stage show.
You can download a free .pdf copy of U.S. Army hand signals manual TC 3-21.60 with most of the info you seek.
Tallyho!
Hand signals are here:
https://warriorlife.com/survival/tactical-hand-signals-for-silent-communication/
Thanks DW for pointing out that I can find a PDF copy of the Army hand signals in manual TC 3-21.60. Very helpful information!
Pealess whistle – works when wet and doesn’t freeze in cold weather. Frontiersmen used 3 firearm shots to signal distress. Same pattern with a whistle. Can normally be heard for a mile or more without exhausting yourself by screaming for help.
Jeff, and Staff
You cease to amaze me with your knowledge
Thanks HEAPS
If your into tactical training here’s something your team can practice: after studying using hand signals and body language take your team out for stroll, first time set a time limit, say one hour. Then tell your team for the next hour nobody talks, not a word, sneeze, or scratch your ass. Practice this until you can go the entire hour using only hand signals and body language, I guarantee your team won’t get it right the first time, or second. Once you’ve mastered an hour increase it to 2 hrs, then 5 hrs. When your good to go for several hours then plan a real test. Set up a mission, for say 12 hrs, an all night mission that will cover both night and daylight. Once you’ve mastered an 12 hours mission your team should be good to go for any amount of time, 24 hrs. or more. Soldiering is so much fun, from the time I was 5 or 6 years old I wanted to be a soldier.
And remember, plan today, survive tomorrow! This country is in for one hellava ride, the wackjob left is stealing our country from right under our noses, it’s time we put a stop to this insanity and stop them dead in their tracks. Can you even imagine our country being run by that little girly boy mullvaney, holding a can of Bud light and telling us that we all need to find our feminine side, that freakoid makes me want to ralph.
A small military signal mirror is a great thing to have in your vehicle, bug out bag and any place handy when you leave the comfort of your home, car or shelter area and I find it useful to have even when in a secluded place!! Easy to aim lightweight and effective!!