If frantically trying to get a hand signal across worked, then so be it. Someone who doesn't know how to signal SOS still might notice the flashing and look clo

If frantically trying to get a hand signal across worked, then so be it. Someone who doesn't know how to signal SOS still might notice the flashing and look closer to notice the sense of urgency. So I wouldn't call it a lie. The signal itself might not have gotten the message across, but the frantic attempt at displaying it did.