Castanet

In regards to the tragic story about the baby boy, swept away in a river, I have a question.
This is my worst nightmare. I have recurring dreams of slipping into water in a car.
If this was to happen with children, I feel like I would stick one under my clothes and the other strapped to me with my purse. I'm a quick acter in these situations, but not always good at thinking things through. I feel like I will sleep better knowing exactly what I'm supposed to do, and what happens when a car goes into water, river, lake, and in the event of ice.
Does the water create a vacuum? what happens and what is the very best course of action?

Any Takers?

Mad dab wrote:In regards to the tragic story about the baby boy, swept away in a river, I have a question.
This is my worst nightmare. I have recurring dreams of slipping into water in a car.
If this was to happen with children, I feel like I would stick one under my clothes and the other strapped to me with my purse. I'm a quick acter in these situations, but not always good at thinking things through. I feel like I will sleep better knowing exactly what I'm supposed to do, and what happens when a car goes into water, river, lake, and in the event of ice.
Does the water create a vacuum? what happens and what is the very best course of action?

Any Takers?

IMO the best course of action is not drive in a rushing overflowing river or creek.

[/quote]IMO the best course of action is not drive in a rushing overflowing river or creek.[/quote]
Any knowledgeable takers I meant.

I'd love to hear from a professional on this.

I have similar device within eazy reach so incase of accident involving water. I can cut my seat belt & break the window.
https://www.amazon.ca/VicTsing-Seatbelt ... RZ5ND8VXP8

So the windows will not work. I'm imagining what I would do if I didn't have that device. I would probably try to pop the trunk. please feel free to knock what I come up with. I imagine you couldn't tie your child to yourself because they would be held under water, unless you swim like an attacking crocodile, what do you do?

I feel like this is information that is best hashed out prior to it happening.
......and we do live in lake country, maybe a good idea to think it through.

Mad dab wrote:In regards to the tragic story about the baby boy, swept away in a river, I have a question.
This is my worst nightmare. I have recurring dreams of slipping into water in a car.
If this was to happen with children, I feel like I would stick one under my clothes and the other strapped to me with my purse. I'm a quick acter in these situations, but not always good at thinking things through. I feel like I will sleep better knowing exactly what I'm supposed to do, and what happens when a car goes into water, river, lake, and in the event of ice.
Does the water create a vacuum? what happens and what is the very best course of action?

Any Takers?

You Need to open your windows right away. Once the car is submerged it is impossible to open the door to exit the car. The water pressure on a car door under water is hundreds of pounds.
The only way out after the car is submerged and the window is not open (and will not open because of electrical failure) is to break a window for which you need a tool such as a hammer. You don't want to be wasting valuable time breaking glass to get out when your time would be spent saving your kids.
Just remember when you are heading for the water to open your window, you will have time to do that. Once you have landed undo your seatbelt and immediatley get your kids out of their seatbelt. Stay calm.
If you stay off your phone while driving, stay off the road when conditions are ugly and stay focused on driving then nothing like driving into the water should ever happen. Put it out of your mind, negative thoughts distract and that is never a good thing.

Ok, thank you. How fast does a car sink? will it sink faster if you open all windows? better just one? or will that tip the car? Say you get knocked out for a second and you are submerged. Once the widow is smashed. what happens? whirlpool? vacuume? is it better to unstrap first if it is a vacuum?

The best course of action is to obey the road closure signs/pilons and not drive around them when the river breaches, especially in the middle of the night.

Grand River, Brantford

Lets not make this a blame the grieving mother post. I'm certain she will be doing enough of that all on her own. If it helps, lets pretend the bad guy hit you into a river on the way to church......

Whats the weakest point in the car? If you absolutely cant get the window open.

Please excuse my typing, I'm holding a squirming little man

There has to be some kind of other way that might work.

First thing one must do, if possible is undo the seatbelt and then if the window will not work try to kick out the windshield as it is usually the easiest window to release. This is even more difficult if the vehicle is upside down. Also if you are alone and are lucky enough to get out and the river is raging do not ever try to let your instinct make you fight it as you will lose your life. I know as I myself was swept away while swimming across a river at a wide bend and I did not make it and was swept away. after trying to grab branches and being pushed under I thought this is no good and decided to swim with the river. That saved my life as it was the only option. I came out about a mile downriver where it shallowed but I was one beat person. I was swallowing water all the time I fought it but when I relaxed and swam with it things changed for the better. It is also nice to get a flashlight with the seat belt cutter on it plus the window smasher carbide tip on it and have it secure near you, the driver where it will not get free when you roll over and you can't find it. Canadian Tire and other stores sell them. One must always think ahead or it is too late otherwise.

That would be scary. I saw on a tsunami special to try to go feet first. What did it feel like? Do you even have the presence of mind?
I feel like I would have a good chance to survive if on my own. It just seems like the things you might do to save yourself, could be what sucks your kids away. I'm Trying to imagine the science of water and what I would do, maybe hear what unexpected elements could occur.

Mad dab wrote:Lets not make this a blame the grieving mother post. I'm certain she will be doing enough of that all on her own. If it helps, lets pretend the bad guy hit you into a river on the way to church......

Whats the weakest point in the car? If you absolutely cant get the window open.

Please excuse my typing, I'm holding a squirming little man

Next best bet is to let the car fill with water. Once the pressure is equalised, the doors can be opened much more readily. It takes between 30 seconds and 2 minutes for cars to fill. That would actually provide you some more time to unbuckle passengers/children. If you were to open the door immediately it be of great benefit to you, but not for people in the back seat.

Side and rear windows are meant to shatter. The windshield is not, so that’s your last resort. Also, a car will sink on whatever end is heaviest, so the that’ll be front first for the vast majority of vehicles (engine-wise). Even if you managed to kick out the front window that’s an enormous amount of water rushing in. The rear window or back side windows will be last to be submerged and generally a much better bet.

GordonH wrote:I have similar device within eazy reach so incase of accident involving water. I can cut my seat belt & break the window.
https://www.amazon.ca/VicTsing-Seatbelt ... RZ5ND8VXP8

Most car headrests are designed to do the same job.

GordonH wrote:I have similar device within eazy reach so incase of accident involving water. I can cut my seat belt & break the window.
https://www.amazon.ca/VicTsing-Seatbelt ... RZ5ND8VXP8

Dizzy1 wrote:Most car headrests are designed to do the same job.

I'm going to have to look to see if my headrest can cut a seat belt.