How To Survive a Long Fall

I am holding strong to my belief that a long fall will not kill you. It's the sudden stop after it that is going to do you in.  I myself am afraid of heights and that is why you'll never catch me anywhere near a 3 storey building or platform shoes (aside from the fact that they're just plain ugly, but you get my point). But in case of an emergency and you find yourself on top of the Empire State Building or on a plane, these helpful tips might be useful.

1. Relax! You are just falling to certain death. There was this show I watched where a woman survived a fall from 300 ft. This lady was unconscious while falling off from a plane and when she woke up in the hospital three days later, there were no visible bones broken and no memory of what had happened.

   Some would argue that she had been abducted by aliens mid-flight but there is a saner explanation than that. You see, since she was unconscious, her body was completely relaxed. A relaxed body absorbs impact better. Tense muscles send the impact directly to the internal organs.

2. Aim for something soft. This is obviously very difficult. Look for a place that would break your fall and spread the impact, like a haystack or giant basket full of cuddly teddy bears (good luck finding this, but if you do, it would be very ideal).

   The problem with this is, from an extreme height you aren't really sure what you are aiming for. Try not to aim for forest because that's one of the easiest ways to impale yourself. If you plan to fall in a body, bear in mind that falling into water from great heights is equivalent to falling in concrete. Ouch!!!
3. Find something to break your fall before the fall breaks you. If you are falling, try to grab on to anything that you can reach. This, hopefully, slows down your descent for a tolerable impact. This is a sure-fire way to break your arm but a month in a cast is better than an eternity in a grave.

   If you can't find anything to slow down your fall, try to break your fall on your own. You can roll on impact. This effectively spreads out the impact to the rest of the body. Timing is key when you are trying to roll your way from death by falling. When you land, make sure to land with the balls of your feet. This distributes the impact to the rest of the body and increases your chance of survival.

These are just a few of the simple steps to survive a long fall without a parachute, but I certainly would not recommend that you try it out. The tips here are just helpful reminder and in no way guarantee survival should you fall. So, please don't try this at home. Instead, play a game of scrabble in your basement. It is a lot less exciting than skydiving but is also a whole lot safer.