How To Survive Being Buried Alive In Seven Easy Steps
If you’re like me, you’re keen to plan for the unexpected. You recognize that life sometimes hits us with unforeseen left turns, like being unexpectedly buried alive. While some of your more cavalier friends may laugh at your preparedness, you know full well that being ready for even the most unlikely of scenarios could very well save your life one day.
Well, my planful friend, I have the information you seek. Through painstaking research efforts fueled by low-level paranoia, I know precisely what to do in the unlikely, but not entirely unfathomable, event that you find yourself entombed six-feet underground whilst still among the living.
Keep in mind that the strategies outlined below are easier said than done in a stressful situation. But if you can remember to keep your wits about you and think logically, it is possible to emerge from being buried alive with your life intact.
Read on for seven steps to keep in mind should you find yourself buried alive.
Stay calm
Your natural reaction to being buried alive will likely be to panic. That’s a very typical response. But fight the urge to lose your cool. Panic increases a person’s heart rate and subsequently causes you to breathe faster, which is precisely what you don’t want to do. Mindfulness breathing exercises may be helpful for inducing relaxation, as well as conserving oxygen.
Additionally, avoid using a lighter or matches to illuminate your surroundings. Doing so will burn available oxygen more quickly. A flashlight (should you have one on your person) is a preferable alternative.
Don’t Scream for help
As tempting as it may be, do not call for help. The chances of someone hearing you are incredibly low. And, agin, you want to conserve as much oxygen as possible. Shouting depletes the breathable air in a confined space far more quickly.
Also remember that breathing and subsequently swallowing will lead to hyperventilating.
If you’re in a conventional coffin, search your person for metal accessories
Your only hope for survival in this scenario is to locate keys, a ring, a belt buckle, or something else you can clank against the coffin lid in the hope someone will hear the commotion. Use whatever you have at your disposal to signal SOS. That’s three short knocks, three longer knocks, and three more short knocks. That’s where my advice ends if you’re in a conventional coffin.
Your odds of survival are far higher in a pine box. If you are in a pine box, your best bet is to proceed to the next step.
Take your shirt off
Fold your arms at the elbow with your hands over your chest and attempt to sit up as much as you are able. This is your best strategy for disrobing in a confined space. Once you have removed your shirt, tie the bottom of it in a knot and put your head through the neck hole. This will aid in creating a barrier to prevent dirt from falling into your mouth and nose.
Now, kick and punch at the top of the coffin
You’ll likely get more leverage with your hands and arms than your legs and feet. But use whatever strategy suits your specific situation to try and break through the lid of the box in which you’ve been buried.
Now, it’s time to relocate the dirt under which you are trapped
Assuming you’ve successfully broken through the lid of the box in which you’ve been entombed, you’ll want to begin displacing the dirt. Relocate the dirt away from your head and towards your feet and legs and your sides. Once you’re able to sit up, begin to fill the space beneath your back, head, and shoulders with dirt. To some extent, this will occur naturally as you position yourself upright.
Continue to move upward
Keep clawing, your way to the surface. This will be easier if you’ve been buried in a shallow grave. Keep clawing your way to the surface and keep in mind that the dirt should be loose, seeing as it was recently displaced and redistributed.
Watch out for rain. The moisture will change the consistency of the dirt, making it incredibly difficult to dig your way to the surface. But never say never and keep fighting.
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