Two teenage volunteer firefighters who were reported missing after they didn't show up for a training drill for their small-town department died along with a friend when their SUV slid off a slick
road and into an icy western Pennsylvania pond.

This is one very tragic example of the seriousness of the topic of Escape and Rescue from Submerged Vehicles.  Over 1,500 such incidents occur each year within the United States, resulting in over 600 deaths annually.

Lifesaving Resources Inc. (lifesaving.com) has been tracking such incidents for the past year.  Information can be found within the Submerged Vehicle section, contained within the GENERAL INTEREST section of the Lifesaving Resources website at www.lifesaving.com, while our article on this subject can be found within the Issues in Safety and Rescue section, contained within the FEATURES section of our website.

Several years ago, Lifesaving Resources developed the acronym of SOS-GO:

S  =  Stay calm and assess the situation

O  =  Open your door or window

S  =  Disengage your Seatbelt

GO = Get Out!

This information has been featured on stories on NBC's Today Show and ABC's Good Morning America.

We encourage all drivers to PLAN FOR THE UNEXPECTED.  Rehearse the escape and survival procedures and discuss this plan with occupants.  Have an escape tool, such as a LifeHammer type device, in your vehicle - preferably, mounted on the sidewall of the driver's side of the vehicle.

We believe this topic is so important, we've included it within all our Water Rescue, Ice Rescue, Swiftwater Rescue, and Aquatics Safety curriculums.

For more information on this subject, please see our article, "Escape and Rescue from Submerged Vehicles."

Gerald M. Dworkin

Consultant

Aquatics Safety & Water Rescue

Lifesaving Resources Inc.

http://www.lifesaving.com

P.O. Box 905  •  71 Main St.

Harrisville, New Hampshire 03450

603.827.4139  •  admin@lifesaving.com