How to Survive a Long Fall

Co-authored by Mayami Oyanagi

Last Updated: October 20, 2024 Approved

What can you do if you slip off a scaffolding 10 stories above the ground, or find yourself free falling when your parachute fails? It can happen any time, but it’s not always easy to fall.The odds are not on your side, but survival is possible. If you can keep your wits about you, there are ways you may be able to influence the velocity of your fall and lessen the ultimate force of the impact.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Strategy for Surviving a Fall

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If you can manage to grab a large object, such as a plank or a piece of rafter, you'll greatly increase your chances of survival. The object will absorb some of the impact when you land, taking a little stress off of your bones.
If you're falling next to a building, or off a cliff in the wilderness, do your best to break your fall into segments by hitting a ledge, a lower cliff, a tree, or another object. This breaks up the momentum of your fall and divides it into several shorter falls, which gives you a much better chance of surviving.

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3
Relax your body. If your knees and elbows are locked and your muscles are rigid, the impact of the fall will do more harm to your vital organs. Don't hold yourself stiff. Do your best to relax your body so that when you hit the ground your body is more easily able to take the impact.
- One way to remain (relatively) calm is to focus on performing the steps that lead to greater survival rates.
- Stay aware of your body, moving your arms and legs to make sure they aren't locked.
Possibly nothing is more important to surviving a fall (or simpler to do) than bending your knees. Research has shown that having one's knees bent at impact can reduce the magnitude of impact forces 36-fold. However, do not bend them too far - only keep a slight bend so they are not locked.
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Land feet-first. No matter what height you fall from, you should always try to land on your feet. Landing feet-first concentrates the impact force on a small area, allowing your feet and legs to absorb the worst of the blow. If you are in any other position, try to right yourself before you hit the ground.
- Fortunately, attaining the feet-first position seems to be an instinctive reaction.
- Keep your feet and legs tightly together so that both your feet hit the ground at the same time.
- Land on the balls of your feet. Point your toes slightly down before impact so that you will land on the balls of your feet. This will allow your lower body to more effectively absorb the impact.
Once you land on your feet, you will fall either to the side, front or back. Try to avoid falling on your back. Falling to the side is statistically best. If you can't manage that, try to fall forward instead, breaking your fall with your arms.
When you fall from a great height onto land, you will usually bounce. Some people who survive the initial impact (often with a feet-first landing) suffer a fatal injury on their second impact. You will most likely be unconscious when you bounce. Cover your head with your arms by placing your arms on the sides of your head with your elbows facing forward (and projecting in front of your face), and your fingers laced behind your head or neck. This covers a large portion of your head.
With all the adrenaline flowing in response to your flight, you may not even feel injured upon landing. Even if you are not visibly injured, you may have sustained fractures or internal injuries that must be treated immediately. No matter how you're feeling, get to a hospital as quickly as possible.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Strategy for Surviving a Fall from a Plane

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1
Slow your fall using the arch position. Unless you're falling from an airplane, you won't have enough time to try this step. Maximize your surface area by spreading yourself out using this skydiving technique.
- Position yourself so that the front of your body faces the ground.
- Arch your back and pelvis and tilt your head back like you're trying to touch the back of your head to the back of your legs
- Extend your arms and bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle so that your lower arms and hands point forward (parallel to, and on the sides of, your head) with your palms facing down; spread your legs to shoulder width.
- Bend your knees slightly. Do not lock your legs and keep your leg muscles relaxed and fall into the motion to absorb most impact.
2
Find the best landing spot. For very high falls, the surface on which you land is the greatest influence on your chance of survival. Search for steep slopes that gradually grow gentler, since you will not lose all of your momentum at once when you hit the ground. Observe the terrain below you as you fall.
- Hard, inflexible surfaces such as concrete are the worst on which to fall. Very uneven or jagged surfaces, which present less surface area to distribute the force of impact, are also undesirable.
- The best possible surfaces on which to fall are those that will compress or give way when you fall on them, snow, soft ground (such as a newly tilled field or in a marsh), and trees or thick vegetation (although these present a high risk of impalement).
- Water is only safe to fall into up to around 150 feet (45.7 m); past this height it will be little better than falling on cement as it cannot be compressed. Falling in water also presents the high risk of drowning (since you will most likely be knocked unconscious). Water is much safer to fall into if it is frothy and bubbly.
3
Steer yourself to the landing spot. If you're falling from an airplane, you will usually have about 1-3 minutes before impact. You will also have the ability to travel horizontally a good distance (up to a couple of miles or three kilometers).
- From the arch position described above, you can direct your flight forward by pulling your arms slightly back at the shoulders (so that they are not extended forward as much) and straightening (extending) your legs.
- You can move backward by extending your arms and bending your knees as though you are trying to touch the back of your head with your heels.
- Right turns may be accomplished while staying in the arch position by twisting your upper body slightly to the right (dipping your right shoulder), and left turns are performed by dipping the left shoulder.
4
Use the correct landing technique. Remember to relax your body, keep your knees bent, and fall feet first. Fall forward, rather than backward, and protect your head with your arms in case you bounce.
- If you are in an arch position, get your body vertical well before you hit the ground so that you don't get caught in some other position at impact (as a guide, keep in mind that at 1,000 feet, depending on your velocity, you have about 6-10 seconds before impact).

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Question

I have a high risk of falling, what preventive methods can I do to help me prevent injuries?

Mayami Oyanagi
Physical Therapist
Mayami Oyanagi is a Physical Therapist and the owner of PT STOP Physical Therapy & Wellness, an individualized physical therapy practice in Los Angeles, California. With over 14 years of experience, Mayami specializes in orthopedic injuries, manual therapy, and sports medicine. She holds an MS in Physical Therapy from the University of Hartford. Mayami is also a board certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist. She treats the root cause of her client’s problems by utilizing biomechanical assessments.

Mayami Oyanagi

Physical Therapist

Expert Answer

Incorporating specific exercises into your routine can help improve balance and strength, reducing the likelihood of accidents. Start with lower extremity exercises such as heel raises, where you lift your heels off the ground and then lower them back down, or toe raises, where you raise your toes and the front of your foot up and down. Squatting exercises can also be beneficial, focusing on lowering and raising your body while maintaining proper form. For elderly individuals, sitting-to-standing exercises are recommended as an alternative to squats. Additionally, including arm exercises is crucial, as arm strength is essential for getting up after a fall. If you are unable to do traditional push-ups, wall push-ups can be performed by placing your hands on a wall and pushing off. Half-kneeling exercises are effective for transitioning from the floor to a standing position. Balance exercises are also vital, such as practicing standing on unsteady surfaces with your eyes open and closed, gradually increasing the duration. Using cushions or pillows to challenge balance can further enhance stability. These exercises, when performed regularly and under supervision, can significantly reduce your risk of falling or prevent an accident when falling.

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Why can't you land on your body? Wouldn't it be a large area so it won't do that much damage?

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Think about it: your torso is where all of your internal organs are. Falling on your back from a great height would most likely shatter your ribcage and destroy your vital organs.

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What if I am holding a child, can I break their fall?

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Yes, but ensure your arm is locked and supported around its head and body. Let yourself go on the bottom and take the impact.

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Tips

If you do hit rock bottom, and the bottom consists of a loose sand / clay-like substance, there is a possibility you might get stuck there. Don't panic! Just make a stepping motion, as though you're stepping on a ladder, while using your hands to thrust you upwards in long and powerful blasts. You will have sufficient oxygen for at least one minute, which gives you plenty of time to reach the surface.

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If you find yourself flipping uncontrollably, try to regain stability by going into the arch position. If nothing else, the stability will help you remain somewhat calm.

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Keep calm, if you're too busy panicking you're not going to think right!

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The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If falling into a tree: keep your legs down, firmly together and with slight bend at the knee. Your arms should be extended diagonally, overlapped in “X” position across your front. The legs together will help avoid impalement and/or landing directly on groin/ lower spine and the arms in an “X” position will protect your neck/ face/ chin. But also contact branches to slow velocity before impact.
The best way to lessen the second impact on your body when you fall is to land on your side. Landing on your side protects your head and vital organs more than landing on your back or on your torso.
Doing a commando roll only works if you are falling one or two stories. After that, you would probably break you skull and/or spine.

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Warnings

People very seldom survive falls from heights of 100 feet (30.5 m) or above, and mortality is high even at heights of 20–30 feet (6.1–9.1 m). It is always best not to fall at all.

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