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NARRATOR: LIFE HAPPENS FAST AND IN AN INSTANT
DISASTER COULD STRIKE.
WHEN THE CHOICES YOU MAKE MEAN THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
PUT YOURSELF TO THE TEST AND SEE IF
YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO STAY ALIVE.
WOULD YOU "DO OR DIE?"
THE ISLAND OF COZUMEL.
EACH YEAR, THOUSANDS TRAVEL TO THIS TROPICAL
DESTINATION TO TAKE IN THE SIGHTS
AND BASK IN THE SUN.
BELOW THE SURFACE OF ITS CRYSTAL CLEAR WATERS
IS THE GREAT MAYA REEF,
ONE OF THE LARGEST CORAL REEFS ON EARTH.
MAKING IT A PERFECT VACATION DESTINATION FOR
SCUBA DIVING FAMILY, THE YACAO'S.
JIM, DEANNA AND THEIR 20-YEAR OLD SON, KYLE,
ARE HERE FOR A LITTLE DRIFT DIVING,
WHERE SLOW MOVING CROSS CURRENTS GENTLY CARRY
THE DIVER ALONG THE REEF.
ALMOST NOWHERE IS DRIFT DIVING BETTER THAN
AT THE SANTA ROSA WALL
A SECTION OF THE GREAT MAYA REEF THAT AT
50 FEET DOWN, SUDDENLY DROPS OFF
HUNDREDS OF FEET INTO THE ABYSS.
WHERE KYLE IS ABOUT TO BE DRAGGED TO
THE PRECIPICE OF DEATH.
KYLE SUDDENLY NOTICES THE BUBBLES FROM
HIS REGULATOR AREN'T RISING.
THEY'RE SINKING, AND TO HIS HORROR, SO IS HE!
KYLE CHECKS HIS DEPTH GAUGE.
HE'S 50 FEET DOWN AND DROPPING FAST.
IN LESS THAN A MINUTE,
HE'S FORCED 100 FEET DOWN.
NOW, WE'RE PUTTING YOU IN KYLE'S PLACE.
YOU'RE GETTING PULLED UNDER BY A POWERFUL DOWNCURRENT.
IF YOU DON'T ACT FAST, YOU MAY NEVER RESURFACE.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
A, WATCH THE FISH AND FOLLOW THEIR LEAD.
B, TURN AWAY FROM THE WALL AND
START SWIMMING OUT TO SEA.
OR C, SWIM DOWN WITH THE CURRENT UNTIL
IT LOSES STRENGTH.
HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER.
YOU'RE 100 FEET DOWN ALONG A CORAL REEF WALL
AND CAUGHT IN AN UNDERWATER PHENOMENON
KNOWN AS A "DOWNWELLING."
A DOWNWELLING IS A DENSE DOWNWARD RUSHING COLUMN OF
WATER ALONG THE REEF WALL.
ONE THAT'S PUSHING YOU TO POTENTIALLY DEADLY DEPTHS.
EVERY 10 FEET YOU SINK INCREASES THE PRESSURE
ON YOUR BODY BY 4.4 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH.
THE PRESSURE LITERALLY SHRINKS THE VOLUME OF AIR
IN YOUR LUNGS AND YOUR TANK.
MEANING THE 45 MINUTES WORTH OF AIR YOU HAD AT
50 FEET MAY ONLY LAST 15 MINUTES AT 100.
IF LACK OF AIR WASN'T BAD ENOUGH,
THE PRESSURE AT THESE DEPTHS ALSO CAUSES
THE MARTINI EFFECT,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS NITROGEN NARCOSIS,
A BUILD UP OF NITROGEN GAS IN THE BLOOD,
WHICH DISRUPTS NERVE TRANSMISSIONS,
DECREASING YOUR COGNITIVE ABILITY BY UP TO 33%.
IT'S LIKE BEING DRUNK.
IF YOU DON'T PULL IT TOGETHER,
YOU MAY BE HEADED FOR A WATERY GRAVE.
IT'S TIME TO SINK OR SWIM.
MAKE YOUR CHOICE:
A,
B,
OR C.
SO, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
WITH THE MARTINI EFFECT KICKING IN,
YOU COULD LOOK TO THE FISH AND FOLLOW THEIR LEAD.
MILLIONS OF YEARS OF EVOLUTION HAVE GIVEN THESE
REEF DWELLERS THE PROPER MUSCLES TO FIGHT
AGAINST THE POWERFUL FLOW.
IN FACT, FISH ACTUALLY USE OPPOSING CURRENTS TO
SWIM IN PLACE, WAITING FOR THE FAST-MOVING
WATER TO BRING THEM FOOD.
BUT YOU'RE NO FISH.
FIGHTING AGAINST THE POWER OF THIS DENSE DOWNCURRENT IS
LIKE SWIMMING UP-STREAM ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE FATIGUE SETS IN
AND YOU SINK TO THE BOTTOM.
CHOSE TO SWIM WITH THE FISHES
AND YOU MAY BE SLEEPING WITH THEM INSTEAD.
IF FIGHTING THE CURRENT IS A DIRECT ROUTE TO DEATH,
YOU MIGHT THINK GOING WITH THE FLOW UNTIL
IT LOSES STRENGTH IS YOUR TICKET OUT.
WHILE DOWNCURRENTS ARE OFTEN TRANSITORY,
POPPING UP WITHOUT WARNING, THEN QUICKLY DISSIPATING,
WAITING FOR THAT TO HAPPEN IS BY NO
MEANS A RELIABLE OPTION.
A CURRENT MOVING AT
JUST 2 MILES PER HOUR CAN PULL YOU DOWN 175 FEET
IN LESS THAN 60 SECONDS, FAR BELOW THE RECOMMENDED
130 FOOT DEPTH LIMIT FOR RECREATIONAL DIVING.
SO IN THIS CASE, JOINING FORCES WITH THE CURRENT,
IS AS GOOD AS GIVING UP.
SO, WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
STRAYING AWAY FROM THE REEF WALL AND TOWARDS
OPEN OCEAN MAY SEEM FRIGHTENING,
BUT IN THIS CASE, IT MAY BE THE ONLY WAY
TO GET BACK TO THE SURFACE ALIVE.
INITIALLY, YOU MAY FEEL THE CURRENT PUSHING
YOU DOWN FURTHER, BUT DON'T PANIC.
SIMPLY SWIM UP AND AWAY AT A 45-DEGREE ANGLE
UNTIL YOU ESCAPE THE DOWNCURRENT'S DEADLY PULL.
AVOID THE TEMPTATION OF ROCKETING TO THE SURFACE,
BY PERFORMING A SAFETY STOP DURING YOUR LAST 15 FEET.
WHY?
WHEN BREATHING UNDERWATER,
DIVERS BUILD UP NITROGEN IN THEIR BLOOD.
PERFORMING A SAFETY STOP NEAR THE SURFACE IS THE SAME
AS CAREFULLY OPENING A SHAKEN SODA BOTTLE.
IT ALLOWS THE PRESSURE TO NORMALIZE,
AND THE GAS TO ESCAPE SLOWLY, AND SAFELY.
KYLE SURVIVES HIS HARROWING ORDEAL.
Kyle: I'm never doing this again.
NARRATOR: ALTHOUGH SHAKEN, HE'S BACK IN THE WATER A FEW
DAYS LATER, A LITTLE MORE CAUTIOUS AND WISER.
TURN AWAY FROM THE WALL AND SWIM OUT TO SEA.
THAT'S THE SAFEST WAY TO ESCAPE
THIS DEADLY DOWNCURRENT.
NARRATOR: IN THE U.S. ALONE,
SOMEONE DIES IN A FIRE EVERY 169 MINUTES.
AND ON THE TOP FLOOR OF THIS RESIDENTIAL
APARTMENT BUILDING, THIS MAN IS SECONDS AWAY
FROM BECOMING ONE OF THEM.
INSIDE, INTENSE FLAMES SCALE THE WALLS.
THE TERRIFIED TENNANT IS TRAPPED OVER 50 FEET UP,
IN DANGER OF BEING BURNED ALIVE.
WITH RESCUE UNABLE TO REACH HIM,
NEIGHBORS BELOW TRY TO GET THE MAN A LADDER.
BUT WITH NO WAY TO ANCHOR THE RUNGS,
IT'S NO USE.
NOW, PUT YOURSELF IN HIS PLACE.
WITH THE TEMPERATURE RISING,
WOULD YOU KNOW HOW TO GET DOWN ALIVE?
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
A, ESCAPE THE FLAMES BY CLIMBING
INTO A NEIGHBORING APARTMENT.
B, HANG ONTO THE WINDOWSILL UNTIL RESCUE CAN REACH YOU.
OR C, CLIMB BACK IN,
AND LIE FLAT NEXT TO THE WINDOW.
HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER.
YOU'RE TRAPPED IN YOUR APARTMENT,
50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND,
WITH AN UNFORGIVING INCINERATOR BLOCKING
YOUR EXIT OUT THE FRONT DOOR.
A BLAZE LIKE THIS CAN EASILY DESTROY A
FULL-SIZED HOME IN LESS THAN AN HOUR.
A ONE-BEDROOM APARTMENT LIKE YOURS COULD
GO DOWN IN A FRACTION OF THAT TIME.
YOUR POLYURETHANE COUCH CUSHIONS AND NYLON
IN YOUR CARPET ARE SPEWING OUT TOXIC FUMES.
INCLUDING DEADLY CYANIDE GAS,
A LIGHTER THAN AIR CHEMICAL ASPHYXIANT THAT INTERFERS
WITH THE NORMAL USE OF OXYGEN BY NEARLY
EVERY ORGAN IN YOUR BODY.
YOU'VE MADE IT TO YOUR WINDOW,
BUT WITH NO FIRE ESCAPE, IT'S UP TO YOU TO SURVIVE.
THINK FAST AND CHOOSE WISELY.
MAKE YOUR CHOICE:
A,
B,
OR C?
SO WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
IF YOU'RE MORE AFRAID OF A LETHAL FALL
THAN THE BURNING BLAZE,
YOU MIGHT THINK YOU SHOULD CLIMB BACK IN
AND LIE FLAT UNTIL RESCUE ARRIVES.
WE'VE ALL BEEN TOLD THAT IF YOU'RE TRAPPED IN
A HOUSE FIRE, YOU WANT TO GET BELOW THE SMOKE.
AND CONSIDERING THAT 80% OF ALL FIRE-RELATED
DEATHS ARE THE RESULT OF INHALING TOXINS,
THAT'S SOUND ADVICE.
BUT IN A SPACE THIS TINY, IT WON'T TAKE LONG BEFORE
THE FIRE DEVOURS ALL THE OXYGEN IN THE ROOM.
ONCE THAT HAPPENS, ALL THAT CONCENTRATED CYANIDE GAS
SEEPING OUT OF THE PLASTICS OF YOUR APARTMENT BECOMES
10 TIMES MORE TOXIC AND CAN KNOCK YOU
UNCONSCIOUS WITHIN 30 SECONDS.
AFTER THAT, YOU HAVE JUST 5-8 MINUTES FOR RESCUE
TO ARRIVE BEFORE YOUR HEART FLATLINES.
IF STAYING INSIDE ISN'T AN OPTION,
YOU COULD CLIMB OUT AND HANG ONTO THE WINDOWSILL
UNTIL RESCUE CAN REACH YOU.
BUT CAN YOU HOLD ON LONG ENOUGH?
FIRE IS RELENTLESSLY DRAWN TOWARDS OXYGEN.
AND RIGHT NOW, THE FIRE'S BIGGEST SOURCE OF
OXYGEN IS YOUR OPEN WINDOW.
THE FEROCIOUS FLAMES WOULD FAN RIGHT OVER YOU.
DIRECT EXPOSURE TO A TEMPERATURE OF JUST
162 DEGREES CAN INSTANTLY DESTROY SKIN.
THE HEAT FROM AN APARTMENT FIRE LIKE THIS
IS UP TO 1,200 DEGREES,
THE SAME AS A CREMATORIUM.
WITH YOUR HANDS CHARRED TO A CRISP,
YOUR GRIP WOULD SOON FAIL AND YOU'D BE IN FREEFALL.
A FALL FROM JUST 30 FEET WOULD HAVE YOUR BODY HIT
THE PAVEMENT WITH AN ALMOST UN-SURVIVABLE
FORCE OF 137,000 POUNDS.
SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
WHILE THE EXPERTS AGREE YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE
AN ESCAPE PLAN IN PLACE BEFORE SOMETHING
LIKE THIS HAPPENS,
IF, LIKE THIS MAN, YOU HAVE NO OTHER OPTIONS THAN
TO GO OUT THE WINDOW THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO TRY
AND CLIMB INTO A NEIGHBOR'S APARTMENT.
FIRST, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A FIRM GRIP
ON THE WINDOWSILL.
NEXT SWING YOUR LEGS TOWARD THE WINDOW BELOW
AND WAIT FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR TO WRAP HIS
ARMS AROUND YOUR KNEES.
THEN TAKE A DEEP BREATH, AND LET GO.
FOR HIM, THE OUTCOME WAS ALMOST TRAGIC.
EVEN AFTER TAKING THE RIGHT STEPS,
HE NEARLY DOES A BACKWARD SWAN DIVE INTO OBLIVION.
BUT IF HE HAD STAYED IN THE APARTMENT,
THIS RESCUE OPERATION WOULD HAVE SURELY TURNED
INTO A RECOVERY MISSION.
THIS IS ONE CASE WHERE BEING NEIGHBORLY MAY
JUST BE THE KEY TO SAVING YOUR LIFE.
NARRATOR: ON HIS WAY HOME,
BRAD HARDY FINDS HIMSELF IN A TERRIFYING BIND.
HE'S TRAPPED BELOW A MOVING FREIGHT TRAIN,
WITH TONS OF LETHAL STEEL OVERHEAD.
Friend: Man, you're (bleep)!
Brad: I know, I'm going to die.
NARRATOR: STEP INTO BRAD'S SHOES JUST MINUTES BEFORE,
WHEN HE FELL BETWEEN TWO CARS AS THE
TRAIN STARTED MOVING.
SOMEHOW HE AVOIDED BEING CRUSHED.
NOW STEADY YOUR NERVES,
BECAUSE YOU'RE TAKING HIS PLACE.
IF YOU WERE TRAPPED UNDER A SPEEDING TRAIN,
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
A, LIE FLAT AND HOPE YOU FIT UNDER THE PASSING TRAIN.
B, TIME YOUR ESCAPE AND CRAWL OUT BETWEEN
THE MOVING WHEELS.
OR C, USE YOUR BACKPACK TO HOOK ONTO THE TRAIN,
AND PULL YOURSELF UP.
HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER.
YOU'RE FLAT ON YOUR STOMACH,
RUNNING OUT OF TIME AND TRAPPED
UNDER THE BELLY OF COLOSSAL MOVING TRAIN.
EACH RAIL CAR SPEEDING PAST YOUR HEAD IS 70 FEET LONG
AND CAN WEIGH OVER 80 TONS.
RIGHT NOW, THE TRAIN IS MOVING AT 11 MILES PER HOUR,
GIVING YOU A 4 SECOND WINDOW BETWEEN THE
PASS OF EACH WHEEL.
AS THE TRAIN GAINS SPEED, THAT WINDOW ONLY TIGHTENS.
OH YEAH, AND THERE'S JUST ONE MORE THING TO CONSIDER,
LOCATED AT THE FRONT AND BACK OF THIS TRAIN IS
A LOW HANGING METAL BUMPER,
CALLED A COWCATCHER,
ITS PRIMARY PURPOSE,
TO RID THE RAILWAY OF UNWANTED DEBRIS.
THINK FAST AND CHOOSE WISELY.
MAKE YOUR CHOICE:
A,
B,
OR C.
SO, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
WITH THE THREAT OF THE COWCATCHER APPROACHING,
YOU COULD USE YOUR BACKPACK TO HOOK THE TRAIN
AND PULL YOURSELF UP OFF THE TRACKS.
STUNTS LIKE THIS MAY WORK IN MOVIES,
BUT YOU'RE A LONG WAY FROM HOLLYWOOD.
EVEN IF YOU COULD HOOK YOUR BACKBACK TO A
PASSING RAIL CAR, YOU'D BE DRAGGED MORE THAN
16 FEET EVERY SECOND,
OVER ROUGH GRAVEL AND RAISED RAILROAD TIES.
THAT'S LIKE GETTING HIT WITH A 2X4,
10 TIMES A SECOND.
GOOD LUCK TRYING TO HOLD ON.
IF YOU CHOSE "C," TRY TO PULL YOURSELF
OFF THE TRACKS, YOU CHOSE WRONG.
SINCE HOOKING ONTO THE TRAIN COULD BE A ONE WAY
TICKET TO THE GRAVE,
YOU MIGHT CHOOSE TO TIME YOUR ESCAPE AND
CRAWL OUT BETWEEN THE WHEELS OF THE PASSING RAILCARS.
BUT WITH LESS THAN 4 SECONDS TO MAKE YOUR MOVE,
A SINGLE MISTAKE OR MISCALCULATION COULD HAVE
YOU HEADED FOR THE MORGUE.
ONLY WITH PERFECT TIMING AND A LOT OF LUCK,
COULD YOU POSSIBLY MAKE IT OUT ALIVE.
BUT IF YOU GET CAUGHT BY A WHEEL AS YOU CROSS THE RAIL,
IT'S THE END OF THE LINE.
SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
YOU MAY BE CONCERENED ABOUT THE APROACHING COWCATHCER
AT THE END OF THE TRAIN, AND YOU SHOULD BE.
BUT BY LAW, THESE LOW HANGING BUMPERS MUST
BE A MINIMUM 3 INCHES ABOVE THE RAIL,
ADD TO THAT THE 6-INCH RAIL HEIGHT,
AND YOU'RE LEFT WITH AT LEAST 9 INCHES OF CLEARANCE.
IT MAY NOT SOUND LIKE MUCH, BUT WITH THE AVERAGE ADULT
MALE CHEST BEING JUST 9 AND A HALF INCHES DEEP,
IT COULD BE JUST ENOUGH FOR YOU TO SQUEEZE BY.
AS THE FINAL RAIL CAR APPROACHES,
STAY CLOSE TO THE GROUND AND LIE AS FLAT AS POSSIBLE.
BUT THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES,
MAKING THIS CHOICE MAY STILL END IN
SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
YOU SHOULD NEVER BE IN THIS POSITION IN THE FIRST PLACE,
BUT IF YOU ARE, THIS MAY BE YOUR BEST
CHANCE AT GETTING OUT ALIVE.
BRAD CHOSE WRONG,
BUT GOT LUCKY.
Friend: Now, now, now, now!
Oh my (bleep), dude!
NARRATOR: YOU SHOULDN'T CHANCE IT.
JUST STAY CALM AND LIE FLAT,
THAT'S THE BEST THING TO DO,
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DIE.