In to-days daily Telegraph it is reported that after the sinking of the SS
Lakonia in 1963 many of the passengers rescued from the sea were wearing
lifejackets but had suffered from broken necks.
We were on a cruise ship in 2011 and the crew showed us how to wear the
jacket. I pointed out to the officer that with the neck support untied as
they instructed my neck would break if I had to jump from the ship into the
sea. I was told you will never need to jump nevertheless my wife and I both
tied the back collar of the jacked firmly down our backs with the strap
attached; this would stop the collar jumping up and hitting the back of my
neck - like whiplash in a car accident.
I think that many of the ships crews are not aware of this risk and of
course passengers do not understand what can happen when you jump into the
water wearing a lifejacket.