The members of your group are all experienced boaters. You undertake a trip on the Atlantic Ocean, hoping to sail to Europe during summer vacation. Things proceed as planned until an unexpected and severe storm pushes you far off course. The storm swamps your vessel and renders your communications equipment inoperable. The boat is sinking, and your group is forced to abandon ship on a lifeboat. The storm subsides the next day after an entire night of tossing you around the ocean like a Ping-Pong ball. Your group is OK, but your small freshwater and food supply were washed overboard during the storm, and you have no communications equipment to call for help. After 2 days, you all realize that you were probably blown so far off course during the storm that any potential rescuers either believe you drowned along with your sunken ship or are looking for you someplace other than where you are. It also becomes evident that you are slowly starving to death. You may be 1,000 miles from land; the only drinkable water is the occasional rain, which is not sufficient to prevent you from dehydrating; and you are unable to catch any fish to eat. After 7 days without food and very little water, the situation is desperate. One member of your group suggests that one of the group members be sacrificed to save the rest from starvation.

Your group must decide on this issue and you are the only one who has taken an ethics course. (Remember you are starving to death, so time is of the essence.)

Identify the important ethical considerations and make a decision on the morally permissible course of action.