Q&A for How to Survive a Long Fall

Incorporating specific exercises into your routine can help improve balance and strength, reducing the likelihood of accidents. Start with lower extremity exercises such as heel raises, where you lift your heels off the ground and then lower them back down, or toe raises, where you raise your toes and the front of your foot up and down. Squatting exercises can also be beneficial, focusing on lowering and raising your body while maintaining proper form. For elderly individuals, sitting-to-standing exercises are recommended as an alternative to squats. Additionally, including arm exercises is crucial, as arm strength is essential for getting up after a fall. If you are unable to do traditional push-ups, wall push-ups can be performed by placing your hands on a wall and pushing off. Half-kneeling exercises are effective for transitioning from the floor to a standing position. Balance exercises are also vital, such as practicing standing on unsteady surfaces with your eyes open and closed, gradually increasing the duration. Using cushions or pillows to challenge balance can further enhance stability. These exercises, when performed regularly and under supervision, can significantly reduce your risk of falling or prevent an accident when falling.

Think about it: your torso is where all of your internal organs are. Falling on your back from a great height would most likely shatter your ribcage and destroy your vital organs.

Yes, but ensure your arm is locked and supported around its head and body. Let yourself go on the bottom and take the impact.

It can, but it depends on the height. You can very easily break something falling into water and then you'll be trying to avoid drowning while swimming with one or more broken bones.

It is probably best not to roll, as you may injure your back/spine by doing so.

Yes, but under no circumstances should you lock your legs when falling into water or onto solid ground, as the inflexibility could cost you your life.

Your clothes are already slowing you by decreasing your terminal velocity. Attempting to use your clothes as a parachute, for example, wouldn't do much, except orient your feet down, which would increase your terminal velocity vs. falling in an arched position.

Even if the chance isn't high, it's still a good idea since not doing so could lead to serious injury or even death depending on the item and where it hits you.

This is incredibly unlikely, especially if you don't break your fall at all. Your skull and neck would be broken and you could suffer severe brain damage or, at the very least, paralysis.

Trees, a tree can break your fall, making one big fall into two or more smaller falls.

You should seek medical aid. With all the adrenaline pumping through your body, you might not feel some of the injuries you have, and although you may not be able to see them, you could have internal injuries.

No. Diving would mean your head would be hitting the ground first, which is a good way to ensure that you don't survive the fall.

You will land, but theoretically if you never stopped falling, you would eventually die of starvation or dehydration.

Possibly, but there will be an increased chance of broken or fractured bones and possible internal bleeding.

It depends on the height of the fall, what position you were when you landed, and at what speed you were falling. You have the highest chance of survival if you fall 0 to 3 meters; at 3 meters you can only fracture your spine. Anything above 10 meters can cause serious injury that can kill you; the only way to survive this is if something breaks your fall, such as: pillows, oceans, and possibly tall grass.

Yes, your legs would probably be broken from the fall.

It can be. If you're too close to the ground, you can break your skull or your neck.

If you have no option to use a backup, use the steps shown here. Ditch the parachute if you think it's too heavy.

They might be able to catch you, but both of you would likely be injured.

No, because of the high density of quick sand it will not significantly increase your chance of survival from a fall.

Try the sky diving tactic if you are high enough. Otherwise, go into brace position. The article has plenty of advice.

It depends of what the object is. If it has a hook, you may be able to hook it onto something on your way down. Large cloths can be used to decrease the velocity and something soft can be used to cushion your fall.

This probably wouldn't happen, but if you damage the car, simply explain what happened and exchange insurance information if necessary.

You will probably be OK for most falls. Though it is possible you could be seriously injured, especially if you fall on uneven ground. You can also have the wind knocked out of you.

It would be best not to go head-first, and try to go feet-first instead. Bending your knees will increase you chance of survival.

More forgiving surfaces are preferable but sometimes you have no control of where you land. Follow the instructions as best you can.

If you use the tactics in this article, it is possible to survive a fall from an airplane.

Diving is never a safe method. It is recommended that you use the article's methods for water landing.

This is because of impact at a high speed. Everything has some sort of mass, and that mass can injure you at high speeds. Because of this impact, your bones will have earned enough pressure on them to snap.

Possibly, depending on how high you fell and where you landed.