Distress signal
![Smoke signal](/Images/godic/202501/09/Smoke_signal_14936.jpg")
![HMS Romney aground off the Texel in 1804. In Richard Corbould's print, Romney's blue ensign at the stern is shown inverted, as a sign of distress](/Images/godic/202501/09/The_Loss_of_the_Romney_Man_of_War4936.jpg")
A distress signal or distress call is an internationally recognized means for obtaining help. Distress signals take the form of or are commonly made by using radio signals, displaying a visually detected item or illumination, or making an audible sound, from a distance.