SEAL Survival Guide (28 page)

Once a vehicle enters the water, you have less than two minutes before the vehicle completely sinks below the surface. If you panic, you lose valuable seconds. Remember, the brain is the strongest muscle in the body. Now is the time to remain calm and yet act with purpose. You will be mentally prepared. After rehearsing the following steps, in addition to making a mental movie of the proper response, you will survive.

GET OFF THE X

Once you hit the water, you need to get free of all restraints so you can exit the vehicle. Your only goal is to get out of the vehicle. If the air bag deployed, the unit will automatically begin to deflate, designed as air bags are to prevent the risk of suffocation during any accident. If this does not occur, or the process is keeping you compressed against the seat for too long, then lift out of your seat and away from the air bag.

Do not waste time trying to open the car doors. Once a car is in water, the outside pressure will make it impossible to swing the door open. Only when the car has sunk completely and the interior of the car is entirely filled with water will the forces of pressure equalize and allow the door to open. That’s not a good situation to be in.

The best way to exit the vehicle is through the windows. If your car has manually operated windows, you will put all effort into opening the window fully. You do not want to get snagged up on anything during your escape. If you act quickly, even power windows will retain enough charge to operate. A vehicle’s electronic system should continue
to operate for about one to two minutes, even if the battery is wet. While you’re taking off your seat belt, use your other hand to press the window-open button. Do this upon impact. If you are very prepared, even try to have the windows down while you are in midflight, powering them open during the fall.

BREAK THE WINDOW

Many people who drown in such instances do so because they believe incorrectly that if all the windows are closed, their car will stay watertight, like a mini-submarine. Water will enter through the undercarriage and through the firewall of the engine and dashboard very quickly. You must break the glass if the windows did not open or opened only halfway. Your best escape route is the side windows, as the windshield is much thicker, made of “unbreakable” safety glass, and secured more firmly.

• Use the heaviest object you have at hand as a battering ram to break a side window. Good choices include a camera, a laptop, or a hammer that you keep under the front seat. Even better, if you have one of the glass-breaking devices I list in the “Gear” section (
page 295
), use it now with maximum force. You can even use your keys, if you are strong enough. No matter what you use,
strike at the very center of the window
.

• Foot method: Even if you are not in top shape, your legs are far stronger than your arms. Position yourself sideways in the seat and jam your feet at the center of the side window. Keep doing this until the glass breaks.

WHEN YOU HAVE TO USE THE DOOR

If you are unable to break open the window, you must remain very calm and regather your strength. Take even breaths and be sure you are free of obstacles. Remain calm and continue breathing the air closest to the roof of your car. You will still have an opportunity to escape when the interior of the vehicle has almost completely filled with water. It will understandably be an unnerving experience to wait in the car as it floods, but use combat breathing techniques to remain patient yet ready to act. When there are only a few inches of air remaining, take a deep breath, and then open the door.
Ensure it is unlocked first!
With the pressure equalized, it should be fairly easy to open. Then exit the vehicle and proceed with your escape.

Escape

Again, remain calm and climb through the window or door. Push off the car and swim to the surface. Your greatest danger is getting caught up or tangled on something while attempting escape, so make sure to take a moment to check that no part of your clothing can create a snag. You may become disoriented, or your vehicle may be upside down. Look for light and head toward it, or follow the bubbles—they always go to the surface. If there is a child in the car, attempt to give them something buoyant to hold on to and send them out the window first.

On the Surface

Swim away from the vehicle. Do so in a direction opposite from where you entered the water, especially if this accident was a result of a collapsed bridge. Now that you’ve made it out and survived, you don’t want to get struck by another vehicle or falling debris.

Immediately gather and do a head count to find out if anyone is missing. If there’s another person still down there, then, of course, make the attempt to reach them if you see that no other rescuers are in sight. But this should be performed only by the strongest swimmer, and only if there is a reasonable chance that you won’t also become a victim.

Life before property: Don’t even think of trying to swim back down to the car to retrieve something.

BURGLARY AND ROBBERY

People have been taking things that don’t belong to them since the beginning of time. It used to be called outright stealing, but now there are distinctions in types of thefts, especially when it involves unlawful breaking and entering into a house or apartment, convenience store, or bank. For the purposes of survival, it is important to note the differences in the various scenarios so that you know how to respond accordingly. Burglary, by definition, involves breaking in with the intent to steal, without the use of force, while robbery is when goods are stolen with force or the threat of it. A third category, called home invasion, is robbery with the intent to assault; we’ll address that in a later section (see “Home Invasion,”
page 186
).

Remember: The motivation or rationale for theft, no matter how it is classified, is to take something of value in the easiest and most expedient way possible—so keep this in mind as I list the ways to deal with these situations. By following a preparedness checklist, you can defend yourself against all types of theft, from the opportunist, petty theft to highly planned robberies. Here are the steps you need to take to prevent being victimized, and the best way to respond if your castle is ever breached.

Prevention

You can prevent burglary and the likelihood of professional criminals choosing your house as a target by making your dwelling appear as one that seems too risky. First, install alarms, or at least use security signs and decals that are prominently displayed on all windows and doors. Security bars on windows, strong locks and doors, big dogs, and alert neighbors are also keys items that will frequently deter burglars and even the more violent home invaders. Remember, burglars want to get in and out easily, and more importantly, criminals don’t want to be seen.