How To Get Out of a Sinking Car

Watching the news on our recent rain, the flooding in Texas and other southern states, my thoughts turned to people who drown after driving into moving water. Our rainy season just arrived so maybe it’s the right time to discuss how to get out of a sinking car. People do not realize that a car can be moved off a roadway into deeper water in less than two feet of moving water. I remember back in April 2013 the Collier County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team was contacted by Diane Sawyer from Nightline. ABC News wanted to do a show with a professor from Winnipeg University in Manitoba Canada - Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht. ABC News wanted to know if we would be willing to assist Dr. Giesbrecht who was working on drowning research with sinking a vehicle. Having never actually seen a car sink, we always got there after the fact, our obvious answer was, “Sure, we can do that.” Bud Gruber, the owner of Bald Eagle Towing and Recovery, supplied us with a sanitized vehicle - no motor, transmission, oil, or gas. 

Feeling we needed a little practice; we ran the car over to a boat ramp and let it go a couple of times. When we sent the car into the canal, we found that it floated for a while - they actually do float for a bit, BIG POINT TO REMEMBER! So, the funny back story is that deciding we needed a bit more drama, we cut holes in the floors and trunk. When you watch the video that Nightline produced, you will see that the car goes down like the Titanic, Dr Giesbrecht was not pleased.

To see the segment click on this link: How to Escape - ABC News (go.com)

You will see the story by Cynthia McFadden and yours truly crawling out of a QUICKLY sinking car. 

So, seriously what did we learn on that day? The only right answer to how to get out of a vehicle in the water is to get out immediately. 

When cars go into the water, they will float for a period of time. The electrical systems can and do often remain operable. I have hooked sunken vehicles in canals where we found the headlights and sometimes the windshield wipers still working in 10’ of water. Sadly, there are recordings, one in the Nightline video, where a victim is in a sinking vehicle on her cell phone, pleading with a 911 operator for help. 

When your car goes into the water, that first minute is your golden survival minute. Number One: ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS. Yes, they are electric but hit the button - there is a good chance they will go down. If you cannot get the windows down, use a window-breaking device.

Number Two: Unhook your seat belt and any children's seat belts. Many of the window-breaking devices also have a seat belt-cutting tool attached. 

Number Three: Get out of the car through the open window. This is your best chance of survival. I repeat, get out of the car through the open window. 

If you have children in the car, get them out first and push them out the window and onto the roof. If there is a baby in a car seat, do the same thing - get the car seat out and follow right behind. 

There were a couple of more takeaways that day. Donning dive gear, we sank the car, and once it was underwater, we tried to open the doors. The water pressure against the doors made it nearly impossible to push the doors open. You would have to wait until the car's interior was almost completely filled with water. We discussed with Dr. Giesbrecht the idea of staying in the car, finding the magic air bubble in the back window area, and then opening a door and swimming out. Dr. Giesbrecht wisely pointed out that once the interior of the vehicle was filled with water, you would have to wait for the trunk, which is often higher due to engine weight, to fill. Trunks are open from the rear seat area and are not watertight. 

Please drive carefully during our rainy season. In just one inch of water and a speed of 35 mph can make your car susceptible to hydroplaning. And never trust water moving across a roadway. As I mentioned, less than two feet of water can stall your car and wash it into deeper water. And like any other safety issue, have a discussion with your family, children and friends on what the go-to plan is if you find yourself in a sinking vehicle.