10 Smart Things You Can Do If You Ever Find Yourself in a Life Threatening Situation

Each year, about 3,400 people die due to drowning, and between 7,000-8,000 people are bitten by snakes in the U.S. alone. But it’s not all that dark and negative since there are ways that you can protect yourself no matter the danger. You first must learn a few necessary survival tips and trust that you can reinforce them if the need arises.

1. What to do if someone is following you.

If you notice that someone might be following you, you’ll likely try to pick up your pace and head straight home. However, by doing this, you could be putting yourself in an even more potentially dangerous situation. The attacker might try to enter with you. If not, they will definitely know your address and could come back and catch you off guard.

1. First, make sure the person is actually following you.
2. Try crossing the street or taking different turns to see if they’re still behind you. If they are, try to remain calm and head toward a crowded area like a café.
3. You might also want to try yelling “fire” to get attention from the people around you. This will probably scare the offender off.

2. How to walk during a flood.

Water can be a true force of nature, especially during a flood when it only takes 6 inches of moving water to knock you off your feet and carry you away. Moreover, just 1 foot of floodwater has enough power to sweep your car away. So even if the water doesn’t seem too deep or fast, it is best to avoid it at all costs or find still water you can walk through.

3. How to put out an electrical or oil fire.

Electrical and oil fires are different from forest fires, so using water to put them out is ineffective.

1. Leave the pot where it is, and don’t try to move it.
2. Turn off your oven. Put on an oven mitt to protect your skin.
3. Cover the flame with a metal lid, but avoid using a ceramic one.
4. Use baking soda to put out small fires. Salt can also work, but don’t use baking powder.
5. Don’t swat at a fire with a towel or any fabric. Don’t use water, either.

4. How to escape a wildfire.

Few people may know that fire travels faster uphill as the hot air rises. In fact, its speed can double every 10 degrees of the upward slope. Therefore, if possible, you should avoid high ground or run to the lower slope on another side of the hill. If you find yourself trapped by the flames, you can run toward the fire to find a break in the flames where you can cross the fire’s edge.

5. How to survive a snake attack.

If you unluckily come across a snake in your house or somewhere else, do the following to try to prevent it from attacking you.

1. Stay calm. Move quietly and slowly.
2. Don’t try to touch or handle it.
3. Try to cover it with a heavy blanket or a piece of cloth to limit its movements.
4. Call a special service to come and catch it.

6. How to protect yourself during a fire.

Here are some tips that can help you to protect yourself during a fire.

1. Stay low and crawl to an exit to avoid smoke inhalation.
2. Use a bra or any cloth to protect the respiratory tract from the smoke.
3. Stop immediately, drop flat to the ground, and roll if your clothes catch fire.

7. How to survive a crashing motorbike.

Bike and motorbike accidents are dangerous because there is a lack of protection between our bodies and the environment. If you are on a motorbike and a crash is inevitable, do the following things:

1. Don’t let go of the handlebars until you fall.
2. Tuck your head down and pull your elbows and knees closer to your body.
3. Relax for the impact and if possible, roll.

This way, you’ll save yourself from the worst types of injuries.

8. What to use instead of a life jacket.

If there’s a raft around you, get into it. If not, you need to find something to float with or to keep you on the surface. You can still survive if you know how to convert your clothes into a flotation device.

1. Bend over, take off your shoes or boots, and tie their laces together. Then hang them around your neck.
2. Take off your pants and close the buttons or zippers to limit the airflow. Then tie the bottom parts of the legs together in a knot.
3. You need to sink about 2 feet (60 centimeters) below the water’s surface. After that, blow air into the pants. Repeat it until the pants are inflated. Keep the waistband underwater and tie it with your shoelaces to prevent air from escaping.
4. Loop it around your head, and ’’hug" the pants with the fly facing your body. Finally, go into the H.E.L.P. posture. Stay still until the rescuers arrive.

9. How to behave during a car accident.

Being in a car accident is much more frequent than you may imagine. And many of them are deadly, which means that this tactic might be helpful:

1. While driving a car, place both hands on the steering wheel in the “10 and 2 o’clock” positions.
2. The impact of your car hitting something triggers the airbag system, so don’t block the wheel because it may cause serious injury. Some experts recommend placing your hands at the “9 and 3 o’clock” positions during the impact as a new way to protect yourself.
3. Stay in a normal driving position and avoid hunching or ducking since vehicle safety systems are designed to protect you in this position.

10. How to survive a shark attack.

First of all, try to remain calm and not splash the water around you, as it’ll draw more attention. It’s important to try and maintain eye contact with the shark at all times to prevent it from ambushing you. Now, if you notice the shark going into attack mode, make yourself look as big as you possibly can in the water. This will make the shark respect you more.

Do the opposite of this if it looks like it’s just passing by, and make yourself smaller. However, if it starts attacking you, you have to fight back. Kick it and punch it, and if you can, do so in its sensitive areas, like the gills. Don’t let it go behind you either. If you succeed in scaring it away, go back to the shore, slowly, without drawing too much attention to yourself.

Have you ever been in any of the dangerous situations shown above and if so, how did you manage to escape and survive?