I think this story is great, but I do find myself confused about one thing…
He came around the gunwale of the boat to find other crew members deploying the life raft and ditch-kit on the smoky deck.
The crew began to enter the lifeboat. Martin ran the drill while Heilman filled a C&H fish bag with water bottles. That was the only thing they left the Lit Up with - other than their skins.
If the only thing they had with them was some water and "their skins", then what the heck was in the ditch-kit that went with the life raft?