Skip to content

Is it possible to survive a fall from a bridge like the one in Baltimore — then escape a submerged vehicle?

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore made some people wonder what to do if they were traveling across a roadway in that scenario.

A silver car submerged in water.
After seeing a bridge in Baltimore collapse, many wondered if it possible to survive if your car falls into water. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday morning, causing it to partially collapse into the river below.

Eight members of a construction crew were believed to have been on the bridge at the time. Two were pulled from the water, but two bodies were recovered from a submerged truck on Wednesday morning, according to the Associated Press. Officials had to halt recover other bodies and vehicles for safety reasons.

A mayday call sent out prior to the collision about 1:30 a.m. enabled officials to stop traffic approaching the bridge, no doubt saving many lives.

Still, people who viewed horrific video of the collapse saw their worst fear come to life, and left many wondering: Would it be possible to survive a 180-foot fall into 50 feet of water and escape a submerged vehicle?

Stephen Wood, director of Northeastern’s Extreme Medicine certificate program and a disaster medicine expert, said the odds of someone surviving a catastrophic collapse like the one in Baltimore would be slim, but people can live through a vehicle submersion if prepared.

Headshot of Stephen Woods.
Disaster medicine expert Stephen Wood said it’s possible to survive if your car is submerged in water as long as you’re prepared to act. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

In the case of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, it’s difficult to survive a fall from a significant height, Wood said. When a body falls at great height and stops short, it can cause a deceleration injury in which the organs continue moving and cause internal damage.

“A 180-foot fall is going to cause pretty significant deceleration injury, and the likelihood of survival is low,” Wood said. “But here’s the issue with emergencies: Most people don’t think of or prepare for emergencies. That’s why people sometimes die when there’s survivability because they haven’t thought about how to get out of this situation.”

While it’s unlikely that someone could survive a drop and submersion in a car, Wood said it’s possible to survive your car getting trapped in water.

The first step is not to wait to open the car door or window, Wood said. Cars sink pretty quickly and electronic window systems will short-circuit within minutes of being exposed to water, making them impossible to open. 

Northeastern Global News, in your inbox.

Sign up for NGN’s daily newsletter for news, discovery and analysis from around the world.