One moment you’re sitting down having a cup of coffee in a quiet café.
The next moment, you’re being bundled into a car, blindfolded, and driven to a secret
location.
You try to figure out what’s happening as your captors make frantic telephone calls.
Should you try to make a run for it, or should you wait to see how the situation evolves?
Nowadays, hostage incidents are commonplace across the world.
Each and every day, people are taken hostage and demands are made.
Normally the motives are financial, but you might be the victim of a political or personal
vendetta.
How should you react under these terrifying circumstances?
What steps should you take to make sure your kidnapping is as smooth as humanly possible?
That’s what we’ll find out, in this episode of The Infographics Show– What should you
do if you are kidnapped?
Around the world, kidnappings are undertaken for a few key reasons.
In Mexico and South America, many international businesses purchase kidnap and ransom insurance
policies for executives and their families.
Kidnappers are aware of these policies and the financial limits that the policies hold.
The kidnappers will negotiate with the representatives of insurance underwriters to settle on the
best price for the release of their hostage.
The victim is usually released safely.
Offshore kidnappers are also aware of the insurance policies held by shipping companies,
and will take maritime workers hostage in exchange for cash.
These modern day pirates operate in countries such as Somalia, where piracy and kidnapping
has become an industry in its own right.
Initially, the Somali pirates retaliated against foreign ships invading their fishing grounds
and dumping illegal waste in their waters.
The Somali pirates hijacked commercial vessels and soon discovered that holding maritime
workers hostage and negotiating a release fee was far more profitable than fishing.
Another type of kidnapping has been coined Tiger Kidnapping.
The victim is forced to commit a crime of some sort, usually a theft.
Other types of kidnapping include political kidnapping, Bride kidnapping, and carjacking.
In South Africa alone, there were 16,000 cases of carjacking, and bride-kidnapping (or marriage
by abduction) is relatively common in central Asia.
But what should you do if you find yourself kidnapped?
The first few minutes of an abduction attempt are crucial, and usually the most dangerous
period of the whole event.
If you resist the situation, the abductors may become dangerous, however, if you are
in a public place, this may be your only chance to escape during this entire ordeal.
Drawing attention to yourself and the assailants may bring others to your assistance.
After that initial snatch, you will probably find yourself in a car or closed building
– somewhere there will no longer be anyone to assist you in your plight.
The police recommend that you do as little as possible to endanger yourself or others,
but a decision in this initial stage of the abduction could be crucial.
As impossible as it may seem with a pounding heart, and adrenaline flowing through your
veins, try to remain calm, and focus on what is happening around you.
The more composure you have, the easier the ordeal will be for your abductors, and ultimately
for you, too.
Keep your eyes open and watch what is happening.
Make mental notes.
How many captors are there?
What do they look like?
What do you consider their nationality and/or race to be?
What accent do they have, which brand of cigarette do they smoke, and what kind of everyday profession
would you imagine them performing?
How old are they?
Do they seem well prepared and professional, or do they seem like opportunists?
Are we dealing with career criminals?
Examine your surroundings.
Where are you being held?
Is it an office, a warehouse?
What kind of business is usually conducted here?
Are there any company logos, motives, stationary, or any objects that could assist the authorities
in tracking down the location?
Observe the surroundings.
Would you be able to describe the room, the car, or the location of your temporary hosts?
If in transit, you should count turns and measure distance by counting as you travel
1234 left 123 right, and so on.
Try to work out why you have been abducted.
There are various motivations, from basic financial kidnap and ransom, to political
leverage, or sexual abuse.
Once you establish what your role is in the abductors plan, you are in a better position
to negotiate your way out of it.
You will almost always be worth more alive than dead, unless you sense that you are going
to be made an example of.
Try to objectively ascertain what your role is and what is expected of you.
Play to your captor’s better nature.
Try to put your captor at ease by remaining calm and cooperating.
It is never wise to make threats or become violent, no matter how impossible the situation
may appear to have become.
Don’t beg or plead, remain calm, strong, and keep your dignity.
Speak when spoken to, and if possible, build up a relationship with your captors without
coming across as trying to manipulate them.
Be their friend.
Remember, they are more than likely under as much stress as you.
They have been driven to this situation by mental illness, political persecution, or
financial desperation.
At no time tell them that their cause is delusional – humor them.
Attempt to make their cause your cause.
Have them think you are a valuable cog in their intricate plan, rather than a wrench.
Escape or not to escape?
Well that’s a personal decision influenced by the circumstances of your situation.
Most authorities and experts insist that you should never attempt to escape, claiming that
you are statistically more likely to end up dead if you decide to make a run for it.
But if you are being held by people who clearly intend to kill you, then there isn’t much
to lose and it may make perfect sense for you to try and bolt.
Use the steps mentioned above to gauge the situation and understand what your kidnapper’s
real intentions are.
If and when a rescue attempt is made, make sure you are in a safe place and do not draw
attention to yourself – this is the most dangerous point of the whole process.
The first few minutes during a rescue attempt is when kidnappers might decide to kill their
captives.
Hide from your captors, try to get behind an object large and thick enough to provide
a barrier against any stray bullets, and wait it out.
You are no longer your captor’s friend; you are their hostage and you need to stay
calm and wait for the cavalry to find you.
With a bit of luck, the ordeal will soon be over.
So, how would you handle things if you were ever kidnapped?
Would you take the advice we just offered, or would you have an entirely different strategy?
Let us know in the comments!
Also, be sure to check out our other video called What do we know about area 51!
Thanks for watching, and, as always, don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe.
See you next time!