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"THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO Survival Handbook The WORST-CASE SCENARIO Survival Handbook By Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht CHRONICLE BOOKS SAN F R A N C I S C O The authors wish to thank all the experts who contributed to the making of this book, as well as Jay Schaefer, Laura Lovett, Steve Mockus, and the entire team at Chronicle Books. Copyright © 1999 by book soup publishing, inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available. ISBN 0-8118-2555-8 Printed in the United States of America Designed by book soup publishing, inc. Typeset in Adobe Caslon, Bundesbahn Pi, and Zapf Dingbats Illustrations by Brenda Brown a book soup publishing book Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books 9050 Shaughnessy Street Vancouver, British Columbia V6P 6E5 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 Chronicle Books LLC 85 Second Street San Francisco, California 94105 www.chroniclebooks.com WARNING When a life is imperiled or a dire situation is at hand, safe alternatives may not exist. To deal with the worst-case scenarios presented in this book, we highly recommend—insist, actually—that the best course of action is to consult a professionally trained expert. Do NOT ATTEMPT TO UNDERTAKE ANY OF THE ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED IN THIS BOOK YOURSELF. But because highly trained professionals may not always be available when the safety of individuals is at risk, we have asked experts on various subjects to describe the techniques they might employ in those emergency situations. THE PUBLISHER, AUTHORS, AND EXPERTS DISCLAIM ANY LIABILITY from any injury that may result from the use, proper or improper, of the information contained in this book. All the information in this book comes directly from experts in the situation at hand, but we do not guarantee that the information contained herein is complete, safe, or accurate, nor should it be considered a substitute for your good judgment and common sense. And finally, nothing in this book should be construed or interpreted to infringe on the rights of other persons or to violate criminal statutes: we urge you to obey all laws and respect all rights, including property rights, of others. —The Authors CONTENTS Foreword by "Mountain" Preface.. .14 Great Escapes and Entrances. . .17 How to Escape from Quicksand... 18 How to Break Down a Door... 20 How to Break into a Car... 24 How to Hot-wire a Car... 28 How to Perform a Fast 180-Degree Turn with Your Car... 31 How to Ram a Car.. .34 How to Escape from a Sinking Car.. .36 How to Deal with a Downed Power Line.. .39 The Best Defense... 41 How to Survive a Poisonous Snake Attack... 42 How to Fend Off a Shark...46 How to Escape from a Bear.. .50 How to Escape from a Mountain Lion... 54 How to Wrestle Free from an Alligator...57 How to Escape from Killer Bees...60 How to Deal with a Charging Bull...64 How to Win a Sword Fight...66 How to Take a Punch.. .69 Leaps of Faith...73 How to Jump from a Bridge or Cliff into a River...74 How to Jump from a Building into a Dumpster...77 How to Maneuver on Top of a Moving Train and Get Inside...79 How to Jump from a Moving Car...82 How to Leap from a Motorcycle to a Car...84 Emergencies... 87 How to Perform a Tracheotomy...88 How to Use a Defibrillator to Restore a Heartbeat...91 How to Identify a Bomb...94 How to Deliver a Baby in a Taxicab...99 How to Treat Frostbite...103 How to Treat a Leg Fracture.. .106 How to Treat a Bullet or Knife Wound...109 Adventure Survival...113 How to Land a Plane...114 How to Survive an Earthquake... 120 How to Survive Adrift at Sea... 125 How to Survive When Lost in the Desert...129 How to Survive If Your Parachute Fails to Open...l37 How to Survive an Avalanche... 140 How to Survive If You Are in the Line ofGunfire...l43 How to Survive When Lost in the Mountains.. .146 How to Make Fire Without Matches... 150 How to Avoid Being Struck by Lightning... 155 How to Get to the Surface If Your Scuba Tank Runs Out of Air...l60 The Experts... 163 About the Authors...176 FOREWORD THE RULES OF SURVIVAL By "Mountain" Mel Deweese I am a Survival Evasion Resistance Escape Instructor. I have developed, written, attended, and taught courses around the world to more than 100,000 students—civilians, naval aviators, and elite Navy SEAL teams. I have more than 30 years of survival training experience, from the Arctic Circle to the Canadian wilderness, from the jungles of the Philippines to the Australian desert. Let's just say that I've learned a few things about survival over the years. Whatever the situation, whether you're out in the mountains, on board a plane, or driving cross-country, to "survive" means "To outlive, to remain alive or in existence; live on. To continue to exist or live after." After all, that's what it's really all about—about continuing to exist, no matter how dire the circumstances. • You have to be prepared—mentally, physically, and equipment-wise. I would have to call my training in the Arctic Circle the ultimate survival adventure. The Arctic is an extremely harsh and unforgiving environment, and yet the Inuit people (Eskimos) not only survive, they live here at the top of the world. Most of the items you need for Arctic survival must come with you when you go— the Arctic offers little for improvisation. One morning, as we huddled inside our igloo drinking tea to warm up, I noticed that our senior Inuit guide drank several more cups of tea than the rest of us. "He must be thirsty," I thought. We then proceeded outside for our morning trek across the frozen landscape. After we reached our camp, the senior instructor walked over to a small knoll. Our young Inuit guide interpreted his words: "This is where the fox will come to seek a high lookout point. This is a good place to set a trap." The older man then took out his steel trap, set it, laid out the chain, and to my surprise, urinated upon the end of the chain! The younger instructor explained: "That's why he drank all that tea this morning—to anchor it!" Indeed, the chain had frozen securely to the ground. The lesson: Resources and improvisation equals survival. • You must not ignore the importance of the mental aspects of survival; in particular, you must stay calm and you must not panic. And remember that willpower is the most crucial survival skill of all—don't catch that terrible disease of "Giveup-itis." All these mental strengths especially come into play when someone makes a mistake— which is inevitable. One trip into the jungles of the Philippines, our old guide Gunny selected and gathered various plants while we were trekking. Upon arrival at the camp, Gunny skillfully prepared bamboo to use for cooking tubes. To these he added leaves, snails (he claimed only the old men catch snails because they are slow—young men catch fast shrimp), and a few slices of green mango. He also added a few things I could not discern. Topping this off with leaves from the taro plant, he added water and placed the bamboo cooking tube on the fire. After the jungle feast, we settled into the darkness for sleep. During the night, I experienced pain, contraction, and itching in my throat. We were in pitch darkness, far from civilization, and my airways were progressively closing. The following morning, the condition worsened and my breathing was becoming restricted. I questioned the instructor, and he agreed he had the same problem. That we shared our distress was reassuring and it led to our determining the source of the problem. It turned out we had not boiled the taro leaves long enough. Recovering hours later, I mentally logged this as a lesson learned the hard way: Even the old man of the jungle can make mistakes. We all make mistakes. Overcoming them is survival as well. • You must have a survival plan. And your plan should consider the following essential elements: food, fire, water, and shelter, as well as signals and first aid. I remember a military survival training course I took in another jungle. A tropical environment is one of the easiest to survive, if you know where to look. It offers all of the needs for survival— food, fire, water, shelter. We needed water badly but could not head for the major streams, rivers, or bodies of water to quench our thirst, as the "enemy" was tracking us. The enemy knew our dire need for water, and he would be watching those areas. Looking into the jungle foliage, our guide Pepe pulled his jungle bolo (a large knife) from its wooden case and pointed to a thick, grapelike vine, 3-4 inches in diameter. He cut the vine at the top, then sliced off a 2-3 foot section, motioned to me, and held it above my parched lips. Excellent! In total, it produced almost a large glass of water. Then he cut into a rattan vine that provided nearly the same amount. That evening we tapped into the trunk of a taboy tree, placed bamboo tube reservoirs we had constructed beneath the tap, and left them overnight. Early the next morning, I was surprised to find 6-8 quarts of water in our reservoirs. The next morning in the rain, Pepe stopped to cut a tall bundle of grass. He selected a smoothbarked tree and wrapped the grass around the tree to form a spigot. He then placed his bamboo drinking cup under the grass spigot. I was not convinced about the quality of his filter, but it was a good way for us to gather rainwater. That night, after we had reached the safe area, the jungle darkness fell upon us and we sat in the flicker of the bamboo fire. Pepe smiled at me and said, "Once again we've evaded the enemy and learned to return." That simple phrase became our motto—and in fact, is the motto of every survival trainer, whether or not they know it. "Learn to return." This guide might help you do just that. PREFACE Anything that can go wrong will. —Murphy's Law Be prepared. —Boy Scout motto The principle behind this book is a simple one: You just never know. You never really know what curves life will throw at you, what is lurking around the corner, what is hovering above, what is swimming beneath the surface. You never know when you might to be called upon to perform an act of extreme bravery and to choose life or death with your own actions. But when you are called, we want to be sure that you know what to do. And that is why we wrote this book. We want you to know what to do when the pilots pass out and you have to land the plane. We want you to know what to do when you see that shark fin heading toward you. We want you to know how to make fire in the wilderness without any matches. We want you to know what to do in these and in dozens of other life-threatening situations, from being forced to jump from a bridge to being forced to jump from a car, from taking a punch correctly to outsmarting a charging bull, and from escaping a sniper to treating a bullet wound. We were not survival experts ourselves when we undertook this project—just regular, everyday folk like you. Joshua grew up in the East—a street-smart city boy. David grew up in the West and spent his youth hiking and camping and fishing (even though his family used a Volkswagen van most of the time). We were just a couple of inquisitive journalists from different backgrounds who worried a lot and were interested in knowing how to survive a variety of crisis situations, likely or unlikely (mostly the latter). Together, we consulted experts in a variety of fields to compile the handbook you have before you. The information in this book comes directly from dozens of expert sources—stuntmen, physicians, EMT instructors, bomb squad officers, bullfighters, survival experts, scuba instructors, demolition derby drivers, locksmiths, sky divers, alligator farmers, marine biologists, and avalanche rescue patrol members, to name a few. Within this book, you will find simple, stepby-step instructions for dealing with 40 life- and limb-threatening situations, with instructive illustrations throughout. We've also provided other essential tips and information—marked with red bullets—that you must know. Any and each of them could save your life. Ever wonder how you would deal with the kinds of situations that usually only come up when you are a movie action hero? Now you can find out. And then, like the Boy Scouts, you too will be prepared. So keep this book on hand at all times. It is informative and entertaining, but useful, too. Get a copy and keep it in your glove compartment. Take it with you when you travel. Give a copy to your friends and loved ones. Because the Boy Scouts know what they're talking about. And you just never know. —Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht CHAPTERI GREAT ESCAPES AND ENTRANCES HOW TO ESCAPE FROM QUICKSAND When walking in quicksand country, carry a stout pole—it will help you get out should you need to. As soon as you start to sink, lay the pole on the surface of the quicksand. Flop onto your back on top of the pole. After a minute or two, equilibrium in the quicksand will be achieved, and you will no longer sink. Work the pole to a new position: under your hips and at right angles to your spine. The pole will keep your hips from sinking, as you (slowly) pull out first one leg and then the other. Take the shortest route to firmer ground, moving slowly. How TO AVOID SINKING Quicksand is just ordinary sand mixed with upwelling water, which makes it behave like a liquid. However, quicksand—unlike water—does not easily let go. If you try to pull a limb out of quicksand, you have to work against the vacuum left behind. Here are a few tips: •The viscosity of quicksand increases with shearing—move slowly so the viscosity is as low as possible. • Floating on quicksand is relatively easy and is the best way to avoid its clutches. You are more buoyant in quicksand than you are in water. Humans are less dense than freshwater, and saltwater is slightly more dense. Floating is easier in saltwater than freshwater and much easier in quicksand. Spread your arms and legs far apart and try to float on your back. When in an area with quicksand, bring a stout pole and use it to put your back into a floating position. Place the pole at a right angle from your spine to keep your hips afloat. HOW TO BREAK DOWN A DOOR INTERIOR DOORS Give the door a well-placed kick or two to the lock area to break it down. Running at the door and slamming against it with your shoulder or body is not usually as effective as kicking with your foot. Your foot exerts more force than your shoulder, and you will be able to direct this force toward the area of the locking mechanism more succinctly with your foot. Alternate Method (if you have a screwdriver) Look on the front of the doorknob for a small hole or keyhole. Most interior doors have what are called privacy sets. These locks are usually installed on bedrooms and bathrooms and can be locked from the inside when the door is shut, but have an emergency access hole in the center of the door handle which allows entry to the locking mechanism inside. Insert the screwdriver or probe into the handle and push the locking mechanism, or turn the mechanism to open the lock. EXTERIOR DOORS If you are trying to break down an exterior door, you will need more force. Exterior doors are of sturdier construction and are designed with security in mind, for obvious reasons. In general, you can expect to see two kinds of latches on outside doors: a passage- or entry-lock set for latching and a dead-bolt lock for security. The passage set is used for keeping the door from swinging open and does not lock. The entrylock set utilizes a dead latch and can be locked before closing the door. Exterior doors are of sturdier construction. Kick at the point where the lock is mounted. Give the door several well-placed kicks at the point where the lock is mounted. An exterior door usually takes several tries to break down this way, so keep at it. Alternate Method (if you have a sturdy piece of steel) Wrench or pry the lock off the door by inserting the tool between the lock and the door and prying back and forth. Alternate Method (if you have a screwdriver, hammer, and awl) Remove the pins from the hinges (if the door opens toward you) and then force the door open from the hinge side. Get a screwdriver or an awl and a hammer. Place the awl or screwdriver underneath the hinge, with the pointy end touching the end of the bolt or screw. Using the hammer, strike the other end of the awl or screwdriver until the hinge comes out. ASSESSING AMOUNT OF FORCE REQUIRED Interior doors in general are of a lighter construction than exterior doors and usually are thinner— 1 3/8" thick to 1 5/8" thick—than exterior doors, which generally are 1 3/4" thick. In general, older homes will be more likely to have solid wood doors, while newer ones will have the cheaper, hollow core models. Knowing what type of door you are dealing with will help you determine how to break it down. You can usually determine the construction and solidity of a door by tapping on it. HOLLOW CORE. This type is generally used for interior doors, since it provides no insulation or security, and requires minimal force. These doors can often be opened with a screwdriver. SOLID WOOD. These are usually oak or some other hardwood, and require an average amount of force and a crowbar or other similar tool. SOLID CORE. These have a softwood inner frame with a laminate on each side and a chipped or shaved wood core, and require an average amount of force and a screwdriver. METAL CLAD. These are usually softwood with a thin metal covering, and require average or above average force and a crowbar. HOLLOW METAL. These doors are of a heavier gauge metal that usually has a reinforcing channel around the edges and the lock mounting area, and are sometimes filled with some type of insulating material. These require maximum force and a crowbar. HOW TO BREAK INTO A CAR Most cars that are more than ten years old have vertical, push-button locks. These are locks that come straight out of the top of the car door and have rods that are set vertically inside the door. These locks can be easily opened with a wire hanger or a Slimjim, or picked, as described below. Newer cars have horizontal locks, which emerge from the side of the car door and are attached to horizontal lock rods. These are more difficult to manipulate without a special tool but can also be picked. HOW TO BREAK INTO A CAR WITH A HANGER Take a wire hanger and bend it into a long J. Square off the bottom of the J so the square is l 1/2 to 2 inches wide (see illustration). Slide the hanger into the door, between the window and the weather stripping. Open the door by feel and by trial and error. Feel for the end of the button rod and, when you have it, pull it up to open the lock. Take a wire hanger and bend it into a long ]. Square off bottom. Slide hanger in door between glass and weather stripping. Feel for the end of the button rod and lift up. HOW TO BREAK INTO A CAR WITH A SLIMJIM A Slimjim is a thin piece of spring steel with a notch in one side, which makes it easy to pull the lock rod up. They can be purchased at most automotive supply stores. Slide the tool gently between the window and the weather stripping. Some cars will give you only a quarter of an inch of access to the lock linkage, so go slowly and be patient. Do not jerk the tool trying to find the lock rod. This can break the lock linkage, and on auto-locks it can easily rip the wires in the door. Move the tool back and forth until it grabs the lock rod and then gently move it until the lock flips over. Slimjim Slide the Slimjim between the glass and the weather stripping. Feel for the lock rod. Move the tool back and forth gently until the lock flips over. How TO PICK A CAR LOCK You will need two tools—one to manipulate the pins or wafers inside the lock core and one to turn the ..."

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