How to Escape From a Submerged Car

Nov 09 2009 by Kristin Varela

The recent accidental drowning deaths of three young women whose car was found in a North Dakota pond reinforces the importance of knowing what to do if your car is submerged.

Dickinson State University students Kyrstin Gemar, 22; Afton Williamson, 20; and Ashley Neufeld, 21, died after accidentally driving their Jeep Cherokee into a pond. The women who were softball players at the Dickinson, N.D. college had enough time to make several emergency phone calls, but help didn’t arrive quickly enough, according to our friends at MomLogic.com. The Cherokee was found submerged in 12 feet of water.

I’m sick to my stomach even thinking about such a scenario, especially since the majority of my drive time includes my young children who are buckled into child-safety seats.

Every year, 300 people die when their car is submerged under water, according to CBS News. MomLogic.com offers these tips on what to do if faced with such a terrifying situation:

• Try not to panic: It’s easier said than done, but safety experts say staying calm will be your biggest challenge.

• Once the car hits the water, roll down the windows: That’s going to make the car flood faster and will help you to escape quickly from the car. Be sure to unlock the doors and keep your car’s motor running.

• Move quickly: You may only have 10-15 seconds until your vehicle is completely filled with water.

• If you don’t get the windows down in time, you may need to exit through the door: Water pressure makes it impossible to get a car door open when the car is half in and half out of the water. Once your car is completely submerged, an unlocked door will open easily. It may feel counterintuitive but wait until the car is completely under water before you try to open the door.

• Keep your seat belt on: That will help keep you in place (in case the car rolls) and gives you some bearings so you can find the door. Unbuckle it only after the car has filled with water.

• If a child is in the car: When the water is at your child’s chest, have him take a deep breath and hold his nose. With the car flooded, unbuckle your seat belt and then release your child’s seat belt or child-safety seat’s harness. Grab the child and push them out the window or door first before following them out. 

This CBS News video illustrates how easy it is to become panicked and disoriented in a submerged car. It also shows how much easier it is to escape a car when you’ve rolled the windows down.

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