When you accidentally fall from a balcony or try to escape from a fire by jumping out a window, imagining a body falling from the top floor is terrifying. While there is no guarantee that you will survive, there are ways to reduce the impact and reduce the risk of serious injury.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Positioning the Body
Step 1. Think fast
Falling out of a window is a very quick process, especially if you fall from the second floor. The first thing to do is to stay calm and think fast. You only have a few seconds to increase your chances of survival so it's crucial to act fast.
Step 2. Keep your feet down
The best way to survive a fall from above is to protect your head. People who land head first often die, even if they only fall from a height of a few meters. Even if landing on your feet can cause pelvic injuries, it's much safer than falling head-first.
- Arrange your feet so close together that they touch the ground at the same time.
- If you fall head-first, immediately change your position so that your feet are the first to hit the ground. Falling out of a second-floor window only takes a few seconds so you need to act quickly.
Step 3. Lower your body position
If you're trying to escape from a window without jumping, it's a good idea to cling to the window sill or ledge, then lower yourself until your arms are fully extended and drop from there. This will shorten the distance between you and the ground, reducing the intensity of the impact.
Before falling, push yourself with your feet and hands to make sure you're away from the wall
Method 2 of 3: Minimizing Collisions
Step 1. Slow down the falling speed
The severity of the injury from a fall is closely related to the speed of the impact. This explains why falling from a height is more dangerous than falling from a distance of several meters. Slowing your fall may be impossible from a second-floor window as you only have a fraction of a second, but if you fall from a higher place, positioning yourself as if lying down increases air friction and reduces the speed of your fall.
If you're positioning yourself like you're lying down, be sure to turn your feet down before landing
Step 2. Choose an area to fall
If you happen to have the option of looking for a place to fall, look for the softest spot. Survivors often fall into snow, trees or other things that absorb impact better than concrete. So if you fall around a grassy, concrete-covered area, try to land on a grassy area to minimize impact.
Step 3. Keep your body relaxed
It's hard to keep yourself calm and relaxed when you fall, but straining your muscles increases your chances of injury. When you stay relaxed, the muscles, joints and ligaments in your body move naturally in an ideal way so you can avoid serious injury.
One way to stay calm is to focus your mind on surviving and preventing injury. This will prevent you from panicking about what will happen next
Method 3 of 3: Landing Safely
Step 1. Bend your knees
Before falling, bend your knees to prepare for the impact and land on the front of your feet. This will reduce the impact on your body and can be the difference between a minor injury and a permanent injury to your spine or pelvis.
- Apart from the head, the pelvis is another part of the body that must be protected when falling. The pelvis is a ring-like structure made up of three bones at the base of the spine. This bone is surrounded by blood vessels, nerves, and organs, so an injury can cause severe injury, including paralysis.
- Don't bend your knees too deep, you just need to bend them slightly to keep your knees from locking.
Step 2. Extend your knees after hitting the ground
You should land smoothly on the front of the foot. This will lift you up a bit so that the shock on your body can be reduced and your bounce power will increase. Your foot will have a less severe injury so expect no broken bones or ligament damage.
Step 3. Tighten your body
You should position yourself as if you were going to roll forward after the impact, not jump straight after you collapsed. Tighten your abs to pull your knees toward your chest, tuck your chin inward, and remember to prepare your hands for rolling over.
Step 4. Roll forward
Once you've squeezed yourself into a ball, roll forward at a 45-degree angle toward your shoulders instead of rolling straight or sideways. Roll on your back and if you don't feel pain, keep rolling until your knees are down, then straighten your legs again. Rolling forward creates most of the energy as you fall into that position, not injuring your legs or spine.
- If after rolling on your shoulders you feel a broken bone or injury to your spine, do not move your legs or knees. Remain in a comfortable position until help arrives.
- Make sure you avoid hitting your head or neck when rolling.
Tips
- If you sustain a serious injury after a fall, such as a broken bone or a damaged spine, do not move until medical personnel arrive to help.
- If you fall into the water, you should still land on your feet first, but tilt your body slightly so that it is further forward than your head.
- When preparing to jump out of a window, for example to save yourself from a fire, do not throw the mattress outside because it can get caught and block the exit. Do not make ropes out of the sheets, as the knots may come loose.
- The best way to survive, of course, is to avoid falling as much as possible. Stay away from ravines, steep hills, and eroded fields. Be careful when near windows or balconies.
