How should passengers be guided at overwater exits during ditching?

• A. Move to the nearest safe exit, exit onto the slide/raft, and follow crew instructions to board and inflate the raft.
• B. Exit through any available exit without guidance.
• C. Stay seated until rescue.
• D. Move to the nearest safe exit, exit onto the slide/raft, and follow crew instructions to board and inflate the raft.

Answer: (D)

In a ditching, the priority is to reach flotation and a ready evacuation device as quickly as possible. Passengers should move to the nearest safe exit that can deploy a slide or raft, then step onto the slide/raft and follow the crew’s instructions to board and inflate it. This sequence gets you onto a buoyant platform designed to support multiple people, keeps the exit paths clear for others, and allows the crew to manage boarding, inflation, and spacing so everyone can be helped onto a raft safely and efficiently. Following crew directions is essential because they know which exits are armed and which rafts are ready, how many people a raft can carry, and how best to distribute passengers for balance. Exiting through an available exit without guidance can create confusion, misfires, or crowding, while staying seated until rescue delays getting to safety and increases exposure to the elements and separation from the raft.