Tales of survival all differ in detail. Each situation develops from a different cause, in a different location, and involves solving somewhat different problems with different resources, but it is amazing how similar they all are in terms of how the survivors respond to sudden and major adversity: they stay as calm as possible, think matters out, form a plan, revise their plans as needed, and refuse to give up. That won't always guarantee survival, but it seems to be an essential component of success.