There are a number of techniques that you can choose to use if you are in distress in the outdoors, depending upon your location and the severity of the situation. This can include shouting for help, calling for help using your phone or taking refuge on someone else’s property. However, if you are in the wilderness and a rescue party is expected to come and retrieve you, then there is a five-symbol standard ground-to-air emergency technique to signal various critical messages to the aircraft and rescue team.

These rescue codes will first and foremost alert the rescue aircraft about your precise location along with the information of any injured personnel requiring urgent help. The five ground-to-air emergency symbols are as follows: