Doctor discusses what a person should do to survive if their car gets submerged in water
The emergency room doctor also introduced the concept of 'SWOC' that people should remember if their car is sinking in water.
The collapse of the Baltimore bridge has made Americans quite concerned about driving over bridges. These concerns are perfectly valid, and it is always ideal to know what to do if such a mishap occurs. Thankfully, Dr. Darria, who goes by @therealdrdarria on TikTok, shared an incredibly helpful video on the course of action one should undertake if their car gets submerged in water. The video was posted earlier but has resurfaced again since a lot of people are now looking for safety measures to take while driving across a bridge. As a result, it has amassed over 13.5 million views on the platform.
She begins by stating how people had approximately one minute to get out safely from their car once it had fallen into a water body. The doctor reveals four crucial steps that would make all the difference in increasing one's chances of survival in such a scenario. Dr. Darria is a board-certified emergency room doctor and has treated people who have survived vehicle submersions. So, she knows that they survived for a reason. The doctor elaborates, "It is because they knew what to do and did it immediately before they even had time for panic to set in."
Dr. Darria then showcases a dummy video of a car that is about to drown. She clarifies that it is a simulation and that there are no people stuck in the car. She states, "You can see that when a car hits the water, it's kind of like a leaky boat." Which means that it has roughly a minute before it begins to sink. The video continues playing, and we get to observe that the front part of the car begins sinking first, leaving the second-row windows to stay above the water's surface. This is a key component of survival if children are in the car.
She abbreviates the four steps to remember as 'SWOC.' The 'S' denotes that everybody should remove their seatbelts first. After this, they should open the window from which they will be exiting, signified by the 'W.' If kids are in the car, individuals can make use of the second-row windows as it makes exiting easier. 'O' indicates how everyone should get out of any restraints they had on and get out of the car. Finally, 'C' stands for making sure that the oldest children are the first to come out of the car, taking the youngest with them.
The doctor concludes the short clip by insisting that people "burn" this procedure into their brains and share the video with as many people as viewers can. In the caption of the video, the doctor breaks down a few myths associated with such accidents. The most important one is to avoid relying on glass-breakers. She writes, "It takes precious time to find your glass-breaker, and (2) many modern cars have side windows made with laminated glass (just like the windshield), and glass-breakers will not break that."
She also mentions how electrical windows can open and people just have to ensure they are open before the car submerges in the water. Individuals should also avoid trying to open the door as it could slam back on them and water could begin entering the car much faster. In addition to that, one should avoid waiting for the car to fill with water and then opening the windows unless there is no other option. Last but not least, adults should ensure that their kids get out first before they do.
@therealdrdarria If you’ve ever driven over a bridge or past water and thought “what would i do if my car fell in”, then this post is for you. As an ER doctor, it’s my JOB to think of emergencies and how I’d respond - and my mission to help you do the same. Once your car hits the water, you have approximately ONE minute to get out. So, I talked with one of the leading experts in car submersion events, Gordon Giesbrecht (IG professorpopsicle), to find out EXACTLY what to do, to help save you and your family. “WHEN passengers had an appropriate response planned, exit could be accomplished quickly” Watch the video for the 4 steps. Plus,some myth-busting 1. Do NOT rely on glass-breakers. It takes precious time to FIND your glass-breaker, ANDd (2) many modern cars have side windows made with laminated glass (just like the windshield), and glass-breakers will NOT break that. 2. Electrical windows WILL open. The issue isn’t the electricity - it’s pressure. You just need to open the window before the water has reached ⅓ - ½ of the way up (ideally before the water has even risen to the window level). 3. Some popular guidance says to “wait until the car has flooded with water, then open the door”. Do NOT do this, unless as last resort. 4. Go out the window - don’t try to open the door. The water pressure could make it slam back on you, AND this makes the car fill with water MUCH faster. 5. DO NOT DELAY. Do not do ANYTHING else first but SWOC. 6. Why the oldest child first? Let out the ones who need the least help first, so you can have both arms on the youngest. 7. Never get out of the car before your child - if the car suddenly fills with water and you’re out of it, you’d have a very difficult time getting back to it. But if you’re both inside and you’re holding the child, you can still swim out. Repeat SWOC to yourself. Burn it on your brain, in hopes you’ll NEVER EVER need it, and share it with other mamas out there. Video credit of sinking car: Gordon Giesbrecht #carsafety #emergency #emergencypreparedness #emergencymedicine #doctor #erdoctor #doctorsoftiktok ♬ original sound - TheRealDrDarria
People found the advice incredibly helpful. @michelledambrosio said, "The way I'm seeing this for the first time this morning after the Baltimore bridge collapsed." @jaclynstone highlighted, "Chances are you will be disoriented. If underwater, make sure you follow the bubbles, or you could be swimming in the wrong direction."
You can follow Dr. Darria (@therealdrdarria) on her TikTok page for more life-saving content.
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