How to survive falls from different heights

What is the maximum height from which a person can fall and get out alive? We know that, depending on the conditions, even a stumble can be fatal. But the story of Serbian flight attendant Vesna Vulović, who fell out of a plane mid-flight at 10,000 meters and survived, is something truly impressive and unprecedented. Yes, she was seriously injured, but she survived and even went back to work.

O awesome.club surveyed stuntmen, physicists and other experts on the best ways to escape a fall. Follow with us.

The tip is obvious: during the fall, try to grab what you can. This will help to slow down the fall speed. If, in your path, there is an awning or a cover made of polycarbonate (plastic) or even glass, do not think twice and try to use these obstacles as barriers to reduce the speed of the fall. You may get hurt, but if you don’t, you could die. What do you prefer?

This other tip may sound like a joke, but it’s important to know: try not to tense your muscles, staying relaxed. Statistics show that intoxicated people and young children – who are not as aware of danger and are therefore likely to be more relaxed – tend to have a better chance of survival. In the case of children, there is another point in their favor: the bones are usually not well formed yet, so they are more likely to not break. But that, of course, is no reason to be careless. If you live in an apartment and have children or pets, take all the necessary precautions. Try to bend your knees and bring your legs together so that, on impact, your feet touch the ground together and your body works as a kind of spring, minimally cushioning the blow. It’s important to know that even with this type of maneuver you’ll break your legs, but that’s a lesser evil.

While falling, try to protect your head with your hands. The moment your feet touch the ground, the impact may have a rebound effect, causing your head to hit the ground. In this situation, your hands may represent some protection.

If, after that, you survived, believe me: luck is on your side – or, at least, it was in this case. Now, regardless of your state, try not to move and wait for help. It is worth remembering the numbers of Samu (192), Firefighters (193) and, in Portugal, the National Emergency Number (112). Ideally, the first service should be done by a professional specialized in rescue. But, in front of a building on fire or at risk of explosion, any help to get out of the danger zone is important.

A drop from 10,000 meters (the altitude at which commercial jets fly) takes 3 to 6 minutes at a speed of 190 kilometers per hour. Under these conditions, the chances of survival are pretty close to zero, but, as we’ve already mentioned, there is precedent. So why not try it?

First, keep in mind that the part of the plane that is most likely to survive in an accident is the rear. In the terrible case that you are on a plane and it explodes or is shot down, first you are likely to hear a deafening noise; then unbearable cold (after all, it will be higher than Mount Everest), and finally it will begin to fall. There will be very little oxygen and, precisely because of this, you will probably lose consciousness that you will have to return when the drop is at the end, at lower altitudes. Try to sit in your seat, riding it as if it were a horse (or try to do the same in some wreckage of the plane). It’s one of the few possibilities to survive and that’s what Russian Larissa Savitskaya, who survived a fall from 5,200 meters, reported doing.

Statistics show that the number of survivors who do not cling to anything in the falls is twice as small (13 people in all) than the total number of survivors who cling to some wreckage. One such person is military pilot Alan Magee, who fell from an altitude of 6,000 meters and made it out alive after breaking through the roof of a station with his feet. If, by extreme misfortune, this is the case, keep the following tip in mind:

Try to somehow control the fall. To go right, for example, lower your right shoulder and lean your body to the right. If, following the previous tip, you managed to have some control of the flight, here is the next tip: avoid landing on a river or lake, even if you have practice jumping. At this point, the surface of the water is as hard as concrete. It is better to look for an area of ​​vegetation, with trees or bushes – even if there is a risk of a branch crossing your body. Better still is to fall on straw or, in colder places, snow.

After the drop from such a high altitude, the next part begins, and just as difficult. Depending on where you crashed (especially if you took a plane), you’ll have to look for help in distant places. Peruvian Juliane Kopcke survived a plane crash from 3,000 meters on a flight over the Peruvian Amazon – the fall was cushioned by the trees. In one of the most spectacular survival stories known, she followed the course of a stream, even with a broken collarbone, and nine days later managed to find help.

It is evident that, in cases like the ones described, as much as you master some techniques and know what you are doing, the luck factor is the most crucial. Anyway, it’s good to keep these tips in mind. At the very least, your chances of surviving will increase.