The sound of water is relaxing
until you feel the water pulling you.
Then you notice a whirlpool
near you in the middle of the ocean.
Suddenly, the deadly force
has ahold of you,
and there is no way
to prevent it from sucking you in.
Churning water.
Colliding opposing currents.
The two key compents
of what makes a whirlpool.
Whirlpools often pull objects
to the seabed.
So if you find yourself getting pulled into
one of these spirals of death,
what can you do?
Another term for a whirlpool
is a maelstrom.
It means a powerful whirlpool
in a sea or river.
These vortices can be up to
10 m (33 ft) in diameter
and 5 m (16 ft) deep.
They form where the currents
are strongest.
Heavy winds,
or a difference in water density
due to temperature or tides,
can cause multiple currents
in different directions.
If they're strong enough when they meet,
they spiral downward and form a vortex.
And don’t underestimate its power.
The empty space in the center
of that vortex has the power
to pull objects into it.
There are many famous whirlpools,
like The Old Sow in Eastport, Maine.
Saltstraumen, situated off the coast
of Norway, can claim bragging rights
as the world's strongest maelstrom.
Vessels have a very tight timeframe
if they want to cross
when the maelstrom's forces
aren't as violent.
Every year thousands of tourists
thirsty for danger
flock to the city of Bodø
to witness its unbridled intensity
at high tide.
So what should you do
if you get stuck inside?
If there is anything a person
should absolutely not do in this scenario,
it would be to move upstream
in the whirlpool.
This would suck you deeper
into the vortex and make it impossible
to escape the whirlpool.
Avoid getting caught by the vortex.
Do this by ducking down
under the foaming water formed by the
churning of the whirlpool.
Wait for the whirlpool to pass over
while you are ducked down.
While the idea of swirling around
in a whirlpool
may seem exciting,
the experience is not
the thrill ride you might expect.
Just ask survivor
David Sousa.
He decided it would be fun
to give his kids a taste
of Mother Nature's amusement park ride
and nosed his 19-foot boat
just barely into the Old Sow whirlpool.
His family was taken around the whirlpool
nearly 100 times.
And during one rotation around the Sow,
a piece of wood
got stuck in the boat's propeller.
This left the boat's bow sticking out of the
raging water at a precarious 30 degrees.
It was a life-or-death effort
as Sousa's family had to swing him over
the stern by his ankles
to avoid the propeller.
If you are lucky enough
to be wearing a life vest,
try to force yourself down
into the smooth water that dips beneath
with your arms open.
If you can find your way to the outer edge
of the vortex,
you can thrust yourself into
the flow of the water beyond its reach
and make your way towards the shore.
But remember,
even the strongest swimmer
can be pulled into a whirlpool.
Any current has the potential
to overwhelm any swimmer
and quickly pull them under the surface.
Do you know how long you could survive
trapped underwater?
On average, most people can only hold
their breath for about 30 seconds.
And a lack of oxygen
won't be the only thing
trying to kill you under there.
But don't worry, we've got you covered
right here on How to Survive.