Who:

Darius Fletcher, 21; Crystal Gravely, 19; Jada Monique Butts, 19; Jaleel Furtado, 20, died on Friday, 4/4/14, when their 2009 Honda Accord driven by Andrew Gramm plunged into a creek in Queens, NY close to 19th Avenue and 37th St. in Astoria. Gramm managed to free himself from the car, swim to shore, and call for help at around 10:36 PM. However, everyone else died.

How:

Per reports, Gramm was speeding that night on a rainy road and was unaware that the road was leading to a dead end. When he realized it, he tried to turn, skidded sideways, and the vehicle steered into Steinway creek. The friends had been returning from a birthday dinner. The vehicle went through a 3 foot chain link fence, drove down an embankment, and entered the waters of the creek that were 10 feet deep. The driver had not been drinking. He was able to leave the vehicle, swim to shore, and call 911. Emergency services were on the scene within 6 minutes, but it took 30 minutes to extricate the passengers from the vehicle. They officially were ruled dead by drowning.

Why:

This is another unfortunate case of drowning that was entirely preventable. Nothing appears to have been physically wrong with the vehicle. Had Gramm not been speeding, he would likely have discovered his misdirection in time. However, once they were in the water, it is unclear whether or not the passengers attempted to exit the vehicle.

In such situations, is imperative to exit a vehicle immersed in water as quickly as possible. Most vehicles will typically float for at least a few minutes before beginning to sink, depending on the impact speed and angle, as well as the configuration of the vehicle’s undercarriage. It is sadly possible that the occupants may have panicked upon discovering their entry in the water, and did not think to removing their seat belts, if they were wearing ones, and exiting the vehicle. Alternatively, they might have been knocked unconscious had they not been belted.

Once a vehicle reaches a certain level of immersion, it becomes impossible to open the doors due to water pressure, and exit must be achieved either through open or broken windows or through waiting until the vehicle is fully submerged to open the doors. In the latter scenario, the odds of drowning are almost certain, as most people have begun to panic or have already given up on surviving.

While water immersions often prove fatal, they are often survivable. The presence of a safety hammer and an escape plan could have saved 4 lives here. Such a hammer enables the cutting of tangled or jammed seat belts and the breaking of glass, such as the windshield or door windows to facilitate exit. Of course, no amount of survival gear is of use if one does not act quickly in such a situation. The first step to do in an immersion is to exit the vehicle; calling for help can be done once one is clear of the vehicle and on land.

Another feature that could have saved lives here were personal flotation devices. Life jackets come in a range of sizes and many are discreet enough to either be worn under clothing without  being noticeable or small enough to stow beneath seats within easy reach for such situations. A type 3 life jacket may have saved all four lives for less than each member spent at the birthday dinner.

Ultimately, however, it is essential to know how to swim. There are a number of local programs most people can attend, while it is also possible to learn to swim through educational training DVDs online. It is entirely possible that Gramm was the only occupant to survive because he was the only occupant willing to leave the vehicle because he was the only one who knew how to swim.

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