If you are thrown into water with your hands and feet tied, there is still a chance that you could survive… if you follow the advice to the letter from Clint Emerson, an ex-member of the Navy Seal. This Special Operation group in the American army teaches their recruits a lot of techniques and tricks for survival. The key to staying alive, according to what they teach, is controlling your breathing. With your lungs full of air, the body floats more easily and that is why deep and quick breathing is important.
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- Floating in freshwater is more complicated, but not impossible. Panicking is your biggest enemy in water because it causes hyperventilation. The aim is to get to dry land, or even getting a boat to notice and come to your rescue. In deeper water, let yourself sink when exhaling, crouch and bounce off the floor to come back to the surface where you can take another breath and advance, little by little.
- In deeper water, lay on your belly and bring your knees to your chest, then quickly stretch your legs out again to propel yourself further, whilst trying to keep your head above the water to breath. If the sea is choppy, lay on your back to breath so as not to tire yourself out.
It’s not very likely that something like this will ever happen to you, but it is more likely that it will happen to soldiers. Since you can never be too careful, at least you will now know what to do if you’re ever thrown into water like this.
