hazmat is offline hazmat Post #1  November 4,2009, 6:48am
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If you watch the news, you've just seen the story of the three college softball players who drowned after driving into a pond Sunday night. After driving into the pond, two of these young ladies called friends to say they were in trouble "near water" before the phones went dead.

I decided to do this thread, because last winter we responded to a similar incident where a father and his six year old daughter did exactly the same thing. They called Mom, both drowned. We carried the bodies out of the car.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, DO NOT try to call for help. Every bit of your time and energy must be used to get out of the vehicle. Even calling 911 is of little help since very few departments do underwater rescue and by the time the necessary manpower arrives, you'll most likely be dead. Lakes and ponds also have no "address" and are difficult to find. Get out, then get help.

Any feedback or questions are always welcome.
 
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brneyedangel is offline brneyedangel Post #2  November 4,2009, 7:22am
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Thanks for sharing this, Haz. I think that we've become so tied to the concept of 911 for emergencies and using cell phones for everything (heh, I'm using mine now to post on break since this site is blocked at work), that we (I) don't necesssarily stop to think of what this call could ultimately mean in that particular situation. Such a tragedy.
 
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jsbach is offline jsbach Post #3  November 4,2009, 7:30am
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Thank you, haz.

This wisdom of someone who has been in the trenches will save at least one of us, of this I am sure.

Cell phones aren't the answer to every emergency.

Atlanta is beyond fortunate to have a public servant such as yourself.
 
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neardc is offline neardc Post #4  November 4,2009, 7:53am
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P { MARGIN: 0px } .inlineimg { VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle } Any other tips, Haz? We don't know how these poor girls became trapped in their car. Perhaps they couldn't figure out how to get out (e.g., if the windows weren't working and they couldn't push the doors open against the weight of the water).

In the unlikely event that one of us finds ourselves in this kind of terrible and terrifying situation, what do we do?
 
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Sassafras54 is offline Sassafras54 — Advice Official Moderator Post #5  November 4,2009, 10:20am
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There is a tool that's specifically for this situation:
Amazon.com: LifeHammer Orange Original Emergency Hammer: Automotive

Don't know if it works or not. Hazmat?
 
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eHA_Admin_Lori is offline eHA_Admin_Lori — Advice Official Moderator Post #6  November 4,2009, 12:02pm
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Wow, what a great thread, Hazmat!

Would love to hear your tip on that hammer.

I once took a curve too fast up in NorCal and almost slid off the road into a swamp. I joked about it afterward, saying it would have been a pain in the butt to have to pull my car out of 2 feet of water -- then a local informed me that the swamp was really around 15 feet deep - plenty deep enough to swallow me and my car.

It would be cool to keep a little something under my seat "just in case" since it already almost happened to me once! But only if it works....
 
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hazmat is offline hazmat Post #7  November 4,2009, 2:10pm
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Sassafras54 wrote :
There is a tool that's specifically for this situation:
Amazon.com: LifeHammer Orange Original Emergency Hammer: Automotive

Don't know if it works or not. Hazmat?

That's exactly the tool I would recommend. If you can't get one, a window punch (a steel tool about the size of a pen) small crowbar (12 in.) or a regular hammer. A knife in your glove box or console will solve any possible seatbelt issues or removing a child from a car seat in a hurry. Another thing you can do before the car submerges is to get on your back and kick the upper corner of the side windows with your heels. (the side and rear windows are tempered glass and will shatter, unlike the front laminated glass)

If you impact the water, your battery will not immediately die. The car will not sink right away, but it will go to a nose down angle because of the weight distribution. It will generally float out to deeper water, so escape early. If you have power windows, roll them down asap. Do the same with manual windows. Don't forget to unfasten your seatbelt.

If the worst happens and the car falls from a bridge or is swept away by flood and sinks before you can escape, or even worse, it inverts, you must stay calm. Under water, the hammer might be your only hope of breaking the glass. The other option is to let the car fill with water until the pressure equalizes, and then open the door. If you can get the window down, swim out with the current.

Lastly, for parents. Your instinct will be to save your child first. With the car in a nose down attitude, you will be "climbing" uphill to the back seat. In that situation, leave the windows up. Have your hammer (it also has a recessed seatbelt cutter) and a knife. (unless you can unbuckle the child really fast) When you have the child, smash the back window, (always hit them in the corner) and GO, because the car will sink rapidly after losing the air bubble.
Last edited by hazmat; November 4,2009 at 4:02pm.
 
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hazmat is offline hazmat Post #8  November 4,2009, 2:22pm
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neardc wrote :
P { MARGIN: 0px } .inlineimg { VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle } Any other tips, Haz? We don't know how these poor girls became trapped in their car. Perhaps they couldn't figure out how to get out (e.g., if the windows weren't working and they couldn't push the doors open against the weight of the water).

In the unlikely event that one of us finds ourselves in this kind of terrible and terrifying situation, what do we do?

According to police, the Jeep Cherokee was found in 10 feet of water on its wheels. Other than being at night in a cold climate, a very good situation for self rescue. If they had escaped the vehicle, they would have been able to stand on the roof and be well above water.
 
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saulgoode is offline saulgoode Post #9  November 5,2009, 8:55am
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I once saw a how-to show that said you should carry a nail punch next to the steering wheel, just for such an occasion.

You can press one of these against the window with your thumb & forefinger, and the window will shatter.

Crooks do this.

Side and back windows are designed to shatter into small shards, while the front has a protective plastic bi-layer that keeps it intact (go through the side or the back, in other words).

I can't get the image to display, but look up nail punch on google images if you don't know what one is.

You can't shatter a window with your hands, despite the Hollywood scenes.

Haz is right, though: get out first, then call for help.


- Saul
 
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dnnmllr is offline dnnmllr Post #10  November 5,2009, 10:02am
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hazmat wrote :
If you watch the news, you've just seen the story of the three college softball players who drowned after driving into a pond Sunday night. After driving into the pond, two of these young ladies called friends to say they were in trouble "near water" before the phones went dead.

I decided to do this thread, because last winter we responded to a similar incident where a father and his six year old daughter did exactly the same thing. They called Mom, both drowned. We carried the bodies out of the car.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, DO NOT try to call for help. Every bit of your time and energy must be used to get out of the vehicle. Even calling 911 is of little help since very few departments do underwater rescue and by the time the necessary manpower arrives, you'll most likely be dead. Lakes and ponds also have no "address" and are difficult to find. Get out, then get help.

Any feedback or questions are always welcome.
Thank you, hazmat, for this insight. I am grateful for your protecting my right to walk peaceably. I wish you well.
 
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