[ARCHIVED THREAD] - landing from a long fall (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 5/16/2009 4:24:39 PM EDT
| your 40 feet up in a burning building. you have to jump. how do you land? on your feet? tuck and roll? |
Fall flat on your back perfectly level so that your back side in it's entirety including the legs and feet (except the head) hits simultaneously. This will minimize the weight to surface area ratio and provide for the best chance of walking away from the incident 
|
|
PLF and hope that you have brushed up on your Parkour.
These guys might not be going from 40ft. but some of these are over twenty. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEeqHj3Nj2c But, for the most part your probably gonna feel it in the morning if there is a morning for you.  
|
|
Quoted:
Fall flat on your back perfectly level so that your back side in it's entirety including the legs and feet (except the head) hits simultaneously. This will minimize the weight to surface area ratio and provide for the best chance of walking away from the incident How are gonna keep your head from flopping back and popping like a watermelon? |
|
Quoted:
Fall flat on your back perfectly level so that your back side in it's entirety including the legs and feet (except the head) hits simultaneously. This will minimize the weight to surface area ratio and provide for the best chance of walking away from the incident 
|
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Fall flat on your back perfectly level so that your back side in it's entirety including the legs and feet (except the head) hits simultaneously. This will minimize the weight to surface area ratio and provide for the best chance of walking away from the incident
|
|
Quoted: PLF and hope that you have brushed up on your Parkour. These guys might not be going from 40ft. but some of these are over twenty. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEeqHj3Nj2c But, for the most part your probably gonna feel it in the morning if there is a morning for you. Beat me to it...  IMO, the French have already perfected the landing technique for high jumps. I used to do free running stuff until my knees starting creaking all the time. Wear shoes 1-2 sizes larger than your own, add extra insoles, wear several pairs of socks, and a hoodie (the hood softens the "tuck and roll" some). I did do a jump from about 25 feet twice. First time was fine. Second time I did it though, I could not walk/stand afterwards and was had to be carried to the hospital. Didn't break anything, but I was in much pain for several weeks and in crutches. I cannot imagine 40 feet. |
| I can speak from experience on this matter. I fell from a height of 17 feet and landed squarely on my feet and attempted to tuck and roll. All I remember is the crunching sound that my ankles made as I disintegrated the Talus in both ankles. Imagine hitting a pool ball with a sledgehammer. |
|
Quoted:
Fall flat on your back perfectly level so that your back side in it's entirety including the legs and feet (except the head) hits simultaneously. This will minimize the weight to surface area ratio and provide for the best chance of walking away from the incident I know a guy who's chute didn't open. He tried this. He lived. I think it was that he didn't want to see the ground coming up that he ending up face up. Only momentary lost consciousness and told the people that ran up to him to not touch him and wait for the EMTs. He landed in a grave yard. It happened in the mid 70's close to Morgantown WV |
|
Quoted:
Find a water faucet, get good and drenched,(wrapped in a soaking wet comforter off of the bed) and hope for the best as you run through the fire. Had to modify it a little. ...I refuse to believe there isn't another option of getting out safely. Maybe make a 10-15 ft rope type thing to reduce the distance? |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Find a water faucet, get good and drenched,(wrapped in a soaking wet comforter off of the bed) and hope for the best as you run through the fire. Had to modify it a little. ...I refuse to believe there isn't another option of getting out safely. Maybe make a 10-15 ft rope type thing to reduce the distance? 2 Things: 1. The run through the fire bit is every bit as dangerous as the fall. I've been in a burn building in full turnout gear (thank you SAE conference...) and F*$@ That Noise! I'm am now much more respectful of house/building/structure fires than I ever was before. The hot gasses and smoke and flames will flat put you on your ass without the right gear. Running through a doorway is one thing, actually navigating a building on fire is another. 2. Every bit you can lower yourself before you begin accelerating helps. Assume the 40' drop. Now, hang from the edge with both hands. Your starting point is now only ~34' from the ground. It might seem like a 15% reduction in distance, but is a much bigger reduction in total energy since you will have less time to accelerate on the way down. Just doing the hang and drop will reduce your impact energy by ~20% from a 40 foot starting point. That's significant. If you have any rope or cord available to cut even another 5 feet off your fall, do it! And you'll need to do the PLF or the 'flat on your back' thing, and hope. The big danger in either is what your head impacts as you hit, either at impact with the 'on your back', or as you fall over with the PLF. FluxPrism |
|
Be prepared for a lot of broken bones. A friend of mines sister ran out of a place to be from about 50 ft up about twenty years ago.
She had multiple breaks in both her legs, broke both hips in multiple places, broke most of her ribs, both collar bones, an arm and about 12 vertabrae. Needless to say she now has a weird way of walking, but she lived. |
| PLF. Had a friend get knocked off a rappel tower once, he did a PLF and was uninjured other than bruises. Of course, it helped that it was gravel around the rappel tower and not packed dirt or concrete. Being out of shape and overweight, I'd expect multiple broken bones. |
[ARCHIVED THREAD] - landing from a long fall (Page 1 of 2)
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.