Mounties explain what to do if you’re stuck in a sinking vehicle

With more than 100,000 bodies of water scattered around the province, the Saskatchewan RCMP is sharing tips on what to do if you find yourself in a sinking or submerged vehicle.

“Drivers and passengers are at significant risk when a vehicle enters the water,” Cpl. Jamie Diemert, co-ordinator for the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Underwater Recovery Team, explained in a statement.

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“Water can pour in through windows and doors causing entrapment, and the situation can quickly become life threatening. Knowing and practicing an escape plan with your family can prepare you for this kind of emergency.”

If you find yourself in a vehicle that’s sinking or submerged, the RCMP said it’s important not to panic. The first step should be removing seatbelts, followed by opening the windows. Then, the RCMP said it’s important to get out of the vehicle as quickly as possible, with children going first.

SWOC. – standing for “Seatbelts off, Windows open, Out immediately, Children first” – was developed by Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, a cold water and drowning psychologist and professor emeritus of the University of Manitoba, the RCMP explained.

“No one ever plans for an accident, but we know they happen,” Diemaert added.

“Our police divers have responded to calls with vehicles in dugouts, sloughs, rivers and even lakes.”

Since May, the RCMP’s Underwater Recovery Team has responded to three calls involving submerged vehicles.

“Thankfully, no drownings resulted,” the RCMP noted.

“Make sure you know what to do if you’re in a vehicle that suddenly becomes submerged in water by remembering ‘SWOC.’”