Surviving an Underwater Automobile Accident

Your car suddenly plunging into water may not be something you've ever devoted much thought to, much less devised an emergency plan for. Yet, every year, an estimated 11,000 people accidentally plunge their cars into bodies of water.

My husband, my 3-year-old son, and I were taking a late evening drive in the country on a dirt road that we knew well. Several days before we'd decided to take our drive, there had been heavy rains. The creek on this county road was actually a run off creek for a large lake. Flooding and debris hitting the bridge had caused it to collapse. Because this wasn't a very often-traveled road, no one had noticed the bridge was gone, so no warning signs had been placed on the road. Because of the lay of the land, there was a slight incline leading toward the bridge. In the dark, my husband was unable to see that the bridge was gone until he topped the little incline. The floodwaters from the lake had risen almost level with the incline. When my husband reached the top of this little incline, his headlights had simply reflected across the water, giving the illusion of there still being a road there. Our car had hydroplaned some 14 feet forward before it began to sink. This distance placed us directly above the deepest part, or the channel, of the creek below. Our car finally came to rest in a little over 16 feet of water.

The last bit of conversation I remember prior to the accident was my husband asking me jokingly if the road was bumpy enough. I had to ask him to repeat his question, because from the back seat, the sound of the gravel under the tires was very loud. The next sound was complete silence and the feeling of total weightlessness. The sudden absence of sound was actually more confusing to my senses than the feeling of weightlessness, but I had no time to ponder either as the car pitched downward, nose first. As the car made contact with the water, the impact slammed me into the back of the front seat, nearly knocking the breath from me. The sight before me, illuminated by the car's headlights, was unimaginable. It almost looked like a waterfall, as if we had somehow driven straight into it. The car was sinking rapidly at a vertical angle. The events that followed couldn't have possibly taken more than a few seconds, but they seemed to happen in very slow motion.

I remember clearly seeing the rising water reach my son's feet at the bottom of his car seat. Frantically I worked to free him from his child safety seat, but for the life of me I could not release the buckle that was holding the shoulder harness tightly on him. My husband was also struggling with his seat belt; due to the extreme vertical angle the car was sinking in, his belt had locked. I remember saying to him, "When the car settles at the bottom, the belt will open, don't panic!" As the water rose to just below my son's chin, I had to make a desperate decision - keep trying to release the buckle and risk him drowning, or pull him through the shoulder harness by the arms and risk breaking or dislocating a bone. The water was rising so fast, I made the decision to pull his arms. Luckily, his little body was wet and slippery enough that he came right out without harm. I pulled him into the back seat with me and shoved his face up into the only remaining air pocket, in the back window. Then I tried to help my husband, who was still trapped in his seat belt.

By now the car was beginning to level, as it filled with water and sank toward the bottom. As I'd told my husband it would, his seat belt then mercifully released! He quickly came across the front seat and joined my son and I in the back. When an automobile goes under water, it almost instantly pressure locks. You can't open a door or a window until the pressure inside equalizes with the pressure outside. At this stage in our dilemma, had we been able to open a door or window, the pressure of the water rushing in stood a very good chance of drowning all of us. We had to stay calm, and wait for the car to fill before attempting an escape. My husband and I quickly devised our plan, at the same time, we would each take a deep breath, and he would roll the window down. I would exit first with our son, and he would help guide us through the window, then he would follow. At the count of three… we took our breath, I covered my son's face and pulled him to my chest, and my husband rolled the window down. The initial wave of water that rushed in was hard to swim against, but my husband literally forced my son and I through the window and he followed right behind us. We all made it safely to the surface, and were able to get help not long after. Our story has a happy ending - but many do not.

How do you devise an emergency plan for this unlikely event?

1. I suggest purchasing an inexpensive (around $20.00 USA) Auto Escape Hammer. The metal head is designed to break the side window of an automobile, and the stainless steel seat belt knife is designed to quickly cut through the belt material. Some models on the market include a built in flashlight and a mounting bracket. Most are small, and measure around 9" in length.

2. Have each member of your family practice reaching the hammer from his or her seat in the vehicle. It is recommended that you mount the hammer bracket in a central location where even a person from the back could reach it by leaning over the front seat.

3. You can simulate a "locked" seat belt by tightening your seat belts very tightly - and having each person push back hard enough to loosen the belt and open it. The point of the practice is to learn to relieve your body's pressure and weight from the belt's automatic restraint. If you have small children - it is very important that you stress in an emergency situation such as this - it is fine to use their feet on the dash, or the back of the seat in front of them if necessary.

4. Talk about this sort of situation with your family. Just as you would devise a fire escape plan, you should devise an automobile escape plan.

Some key points to discuss:

1. Above all REMAIN CALM and remember your escape plan.

2. Unfasten your seat belt, and remember you may have to use the things you practiced before in the event your belt is "locked".

3. Attempt to get a window down as fast as possible, and you may use the escape hammer. In the event you are unable to do so before the vehicle becomes submerged, you will have to wait until the pressure equalizes. A pressure seal will form and prevent you from opening a window or door until the air pressure inside the vehicle more closely matches that of the water outside the vehicle. Now is not the time to use the escape hammer, because the force of the incoming water could drown you. Remain calm, allow the vehicle to fill with water, then use the hammer and make your escape.