We've all heard of miracle stories where a couple of lucky and blessed people escaped dangerous situations even though it seems very unlikely at that time. You've probably read many miraculous stories like this BUT have you ever wondered what would you do if you are stuck in the very same situation?
Besides calling the emergency services for help, heres what you can do in 6 life-threatening situations.
- CHOKING
Imagine you are having your dinner alone at home. As you were eating a piece of meat, the phone rang. While rushing to answer the call, you gulped down the piece of meat instead of chewing it into smaller pieces. You suddenly feel that you are out of air to breath. What would you do? Yell for help? Or just wait for someone to discover your lifeless body?
Quickly find a chair, a kitchen counter or any piece of furniture. Aim to hit the top of the chair against your upper abdomen. Thrust up and inwards. If you still can't breathe after six tries, dial the emergency services, even if you can't talk.
- BEAR ATTACK
If you surprise a bear, DON'T RUN. That invites an attack. Instead, stand up and back away slowly, without looking the bear in the eyes. Speak softly to it. If it does charge at you, try to make yourself look as large as possible; Stick out your chest, raise your arms and spread your legs. Now you can yell at the bear. If it's going to attack, lie face down with your hands clasped behind your neck. Play dead and don't get up until you're pretty sure that the bear's gone. Leave the area immediately in case it decided to come back. If you're in a bear country, carry a bear-deterrent pepper spray.
[p/s: sorry for the cartoon image, i find that the 'real' images are a bit gory and scary :) ]
- LIGHTNING
If you're outside and a storm hits, quickly get inside.
A large, enclosed building is the safest, but a car is also good as long as you close the doors and windows and don't touch any metal surfaces. Avoid tall, isolated objects like trees and partially enclosed buildings, fences or any metal objects. If you're with a group, don't huddle near other people; stay at least 5 metres apart. That way if one of you is hit, the lightning won't travel between you.
- LOST IN THE WILDERNESS
To avoid becoming the headline on the news, be prepared. Before you go for a hike, check the weather, take plenty of water and make sure someone knows where you'll be and when you'll be back. Bring along clothes that can keep you warm. In general, people who try to find their own way fare worse than those who stay put. Find shelter before dark. Make a signal with colourful gear or make a big X out of rocks. You can go several days without eating, so don't forage for food since there are lots of poisonous plants in the wild. The important thing is you have to stay hydrated so it's better to drink from a stream than go without.
- SEVERE BLEEDING
You're gushing blood. What would you do? Let yourself bleed to death? NO! You have to be stronger than that, people. Use your hand or a clean cloth, paper towels, a scarf or any fabric you can grab, and push down on the wound until the bleeding stops. If you have a cut on your upper leg and you put pressure on it, you're just closing that vessel. But if you put a tourniquet on, you'll close the blood vessels AND stop the oxygen supply to the entire leg which would then lead to LOSING YOUR FOOT. So heads up people! The only time to use a tourniquet is when you really sure that everything below the wound is BEYOND repair.
- TRAPPED IN A BURNING BUILDING
If you're in an office building or any burning buildings and can't get out, DON'T PANIC. In any emergency situation, the difference between those who survive and those who don't is that survivors remain calm and fight through their fear. Call the emergency services. Close yourself in a smoke-free room and place a wet towel at the bottom of the door to prevent any smoke from entering. Then get close to the ground where there is less smoke so you can breathe and see better, and wait for help to arrive. If you're in a house, get as low as you can and crawl as fast as possible. Don't stop until you're well away from the fire. Then call for help.
So the thing that I'd like to centralized here is that there are times when we can't let our fear overwhelm us. If you let fear control you, then you wouldn't be able to find out where your ability lies. And you also have the honors of saying this:
Fear is the father of courage and the mother of safety
No comments:
Post a Comment