Long drops into water

[DB]

Why are long falls into water fatal?

[_josie_]

something like, the higher you are when you fall, the more weight you will gain when you are falling. I think that the water is as hard as a pavement would be or something if you hit it from a greater distance.

[mikewith]

This answer from WaldoMcFroog: "Well, they aren't necessarily fatal - there are plenty of cases of pilots bailing from planes and landing in lakes/ the ocean etc and surviving. The most common problem is that people jump in a standing position. When you hit the water from a great height, you've accrued a lot of momentum, and water isn't that soft when you hit it at that speed! What happens is that the spine is jarred so hard, the spine breaks. Alternatively, you might belly flop and split. But, if you were in a ball, there's a chance you would survive."

[seductionpak]

Actually to make yourself into a ball would be a grave mistake. One of the biggest problems with jumping from a great height is that water is pushed up the rectum with great force and pressure, therefore causing very serious internal injuries. To counteract this, one of the best ways to approach falling to water from a great height is to fall in a standing position but clench and squeeze together your leg and but muscles to prevent the water shooting up. In general, the more aero-dynamic you can make your body, the better as it will slide into the water more easily, though it's very unlikely you will survive without any injuries. The key is to attempt swimming to the surface immediately, as the water pressuer behind you can be very difficult to overcome. Alternatively, were you to fall in the shape of a ball, not only would you sink further once submerged, but as one might imagine, water would definitely be pushed into your rectum as it would essentially be even more open than usual, thus causing extremely dangerous internal injuries.