How To Escape From A Submerged Vehicle

Finding yourself in a submerged vehicle can be one of your worst nightmares. However, tragedies do occur in life, and if you find yourself in such a situation, you should know how to react. Before proceeding with the safety measures, take a deep breath and try to calm yourself down. The more you panic, the harder it will be for you to think and act logically and find a way out of this drastic situation. There are a number of rescue measures that you can generally adopt when you are stuck in a submerged vehicle.

Hold firmly against the steering wheel as you head into the water. This will prepare you for the jerk and may even open the airbags, which will be another safety measure.

Unfasten your seat belt and any other object that restricts movement.

Immediately start looking for an escape route. Generally, there should not be a problem opening doors. However, if they are jammed, you don’t need to panic. You still have the windows, which make an excellent escape route.

Try opening the windows. Generally, the electric circuit in windows lasts about 3 minutes before dying down underwater. So you should work quickly to unwind the window.

If you are unable to roll the window down, break the window open. You will need a hard object. Having access to the toolbox is a great plus. If you don’t find anything, you will have to kick the window to break it.

At this point, water will penetrate your vehicle with tremendous pressure. It’s your only route of escape, so gather your strength and swim your way right against the flow of water. Once you’re out of the car, swim upwards as quickly as you can.

There should be help available once you’re safely out of water. However, if you find yourself in a lonely situation, try looking for someone who can call an ambulance for you.
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