Life jacket having deployable balloon

A balloon, comprising:

• means for inflating said balloon into a spherical shape;
• a funnel formed in said balloon, said funnel having an opening in open communication with an environment external to said balloon;
• a downspout formed in said balloon, said downspout depending from a narrow end of said funnel;
• a reservoir positioned in open fluid communication with said downspout so that rainwater collected by said funnel is retained within said reservoir;
• means for tethering said balloon to a life jacket;
• and
• drinking spout means connected to said balloon in fluid communication with said reservoir so that a person awaiting rescue while floating in a body of water may consume rainwater from said reservoir.

A pocket means adapted to be retrofit to a life jacket or a life raft, comprising:

• a pocket member;
• said pocket member having an access opening;
• a pocket flap for selectively closing said access opening;
• a liner disposed within said pocket member, said liner having a mouth part thereof secured to said access opening of said pocket member and said liner defining a cavity;
• a deflated balloon disposed within said cavity;
• a mounting member secured to a preselected part of said liner;
• an elongate, flexible tether having a first end secured to said mounting member and a second end secured to said balloon;
• and
• means for attaching said pocket to an external surface of said life jacket;
• whereby said balloon may be deployed from said pocket and inflated to facilitate visual sighting of a person wearing said life jacket;
• and
• whereby said liner is turned inside-out when said balloon is deployed so that water cannot enter into said cavity.

A pocket means adapted to be retrofit to a life jacket or a life raft, comprising:

• a pocket member;
• said pocket member having an access opening;
• a pocket flap for selectively closing said access opening;
• a cavity defined within said pocket member;
• at least one water container disposed within said cavity;
• means for attaching said pocket member to an external surface of said life jacket;
• said at least one water container containing a plurality of water containers that are releasably secured to one another so that their respective contents may be imbibed independently of one another.