This morning in the helloU offices, it was agreed upon that we needed an article on how not to die if being drowned. I won’t lie to you, I was pretty worried about what I was going to say because I’ve got no clue. This is what I had…
It’s fundamentally good advice but I doubt it would have passed the editing stage. Luckily I came across some slightly better advice from Navy Seals that fills in the gaps left by me.
Clint Emerson is a formal Navy Seal and has just written a book on 100 vital skills that he learnt in the U.S. Navy. In the book,100 Deadly Skills: The SEAL Operatives Guide, he teaches the survival guide for when you’ve been captured and being drowned, whether in shallow waters or the sea. Needless to say, it’s pretty insightful…
“When an operative is captured in hostile territory, the odds of survival are low.
Instead of being taken to trial, he will likely simply be made to disappear which is why operatives practice escaping while wearing undefeatable restraints on hands and feet, both in water and on land.
Tied up, thrown into open waters, and left to drown to death, the well-trained operative still has recourse to a few skills that can help extend his life until he is found or reaches solid ground.
When it comes to self-preservation in water, the key to survival is breath control. With the lungs full of air, the human body is buoyant so deep breaths and quick exhales are key.
Buoyancy in freshwater is more challenging but still achievable. Panicking, which can lead to hyperventilation, is the number-one enemy to survival.
Restraints and body positioning may make breathing a challenge, but repositioning is always within the Nomads grasp. In shallow waters, use a sinking and bouncing approach (see diagram below) to travel toward shore, ricocheting off the seabed or lake floor up to the surface for an inhale.
When facing down, whether floating in place or using a backward kicking motion to swim to shore, the operative should arch his back in order to raise his head above water.
In rough seas, this may not give him enough clearance to get his head out of water. Instead, a full body rotation will allow him to take a deep breath and then continue travelling forward.“
So the idea is that, by using Clint’s know-how, you’ll be able to make it to dry land or at least put off dying until someone who can help turns up.
Hopefully you’ll never have to put these skills into practice though. Still… handy, right?
What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
Read more: http://www.hellou.co.uk/2016/09/navy-seal-reveals-how-to-survive-if-you-are-being-drowned-104613/
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