A submersible with five people on board heading for the
wreck of the Titanic has lost contact with its mothership.
Nobody knows where it is or or even whether the
crew is still alive.
If this submersible has gone to the bottom,
you just don't have an oxygen issue.
You have a heat issue because of the temperature below
the surface
13,000 feet down. It's almost freezing down there.
You would have an issue where the crew may
not last long enough because of the lack of heat,
let alone water and food.
It's glass fiber, so it's resistant to any active sonar
and indeed a mixed amidst all the debris,
the currents and all the other things.
The chance of finding this,
if it still survives, is extremely remote.
Surviving a sinking submarine is not something many people have
successfully done.
A lot of it comes down to having the right
kind of equipment,
excellent training, and a healthy dose of good luck.
After all, when it comes to surviving,
swimming to the surface is only part of the answer.
What's the best way to escape?
How can you deal with all that pressure underwater?
What should you never do?
You could be deep underwater and a long way from
land.
When disaster strikes on a submarine,
there's no time to look for answers in a manual.
If you want to survive,
remember these tips.
Step one don't panic. You had to practice fire control
and evacuation drills to get on the sub,
so you have the training to survive.
Stay calm and focus on your training.
Panicking in a sinking submarine can make matters even worse.
Opening the wrong door at the wrong time,
failing to see a fire extinguisher as a fire breaks
out.
Making rash decisions, pushing and shoving people out of the
way while you're all trapped in a big tin tube
can cause more injuries or deaths that could have been
avoided. Don't lose your cool.
Step 2. Identify and control the problem.
You should immediately work to find control and even stop
the problem.
Figure out what's wrong and seal off the damaged area.
Unless should it come aboard.
If there's a fire, you should try to put it
out immediately to avoid losing the crucial oxygen that you'll
need to survive until help comes.
In 2019, in the Barents Sea,
only a handful of crew members aboard a Russian Navy
sub managed to escape after a fire started on board.
Unfortunately, 14 didn't escape, they died in the accident.
The Barents Sea is also home to one of Russia's
worst naval disasters.
The Kursk nuclear submarine suffered 2 explosions and sank in
August 2000,
killing all 118 men on board.
Step three, call for help,
send distress calls right away and use every means possible.
Submarines are made of heavy metal and are designed to
be nearly invisible on radar.
That stealthy concept is excellent in times of war,
but this makes rescue missions incredibly complicated.
However, sending that distress call right away is crucial.
You need to be rescued as soon as possible as
the oxygen in the submarine can be lost to the
sea or used up inside the sub.
Step 4. Use a flotation device.
New technology makes it possible for submarine sailors to survive
a crisis situation.
The good news is most modern Subs will have some
kind of full body suits called Submarine Escape Immersion Equipment
Suits known as Sigh units.
Sailors put on these suits as soon as it's mandatory
to escape.
Each sailor will wait in an escape trunk with a
partner as it fills with water.
As soon as the pressure inside equalizes,
the suit wearing sailors pop out two by two and
they float to the surface.
But Subs not equipped with these life saving suits are
more likely to become watery graves for the sailors trapped
inside
Step 5. Move toward the emergency exits.
Move toward the submarine's emergency exits or another locked area
that can be filled with water.
To equalize pressure on some Subs,
they practice escaping from missile tubes.
Equalizing the pressure will make it possible to open the
door or hatch,
allowing for an escape.
Most of the Subs in the water today are military
vessels.
Your odds of survival will be lower if enemy combatants
are lurking.
But what if you love exploring and going where few
people have gone before?
What if you find yourself stuck at the bottom of
the Mariana Trench?
Don't worry, we've got you covered
to be prepared and stay alive.
Keep watching how to survive.