Article created by: Gabija Palšytė

One of the best skills you can learn in life is staying cool as a cucumber in emergency situations. While everyone else around is panicking, you’re collected and know exactly what to do. You take charge. You calm everyone down. You lead them out of the crisis.

Reddit user u/Accidentallyupvotes1 sparked an important discussion on the r/AskReddit forum. They invited everyone to share the facts that could end up potentially saving a person’s life. We’ve collected the most important ones. You might find some of these insights and suggestions new. Meanwhile, others are a good refresher for all of us.

Bored Panda reached out to the author of the viral thread, u/Accidentallyupvotes1, and they were happy to answer our questions and share their thoughts. You'll find their insights as you scroll down.

#1

Person hiding under a white blanket, looking cautiously over the edge, emphasizing safety awareness in risky situations. If you can’t find you kid in your house, don’t search common places they would be. Search the most deadly places; pools, freezes, washing machines and dryers. Seconds count and if they are hiding under the table for an extra minute, who cares.

Swordsman82 , Mikhail Nilov Report

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    #2

    Finger pressing button on a worn intercom panel, highlighting potential safety awareness in deadly places. Just because someone rings your doorbell, doesn't mean you have an obligation to answer.

    MissySedai , James Tsai Report

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    #3

    A diver in icy water reaches for ice above, highlighting deadly places and survival. If you fall through the ice... the dark spot is the way out. The sun reflects off the ice surface. The spot you entered has no ice or reflection, so will be dark ... opposite what we would naturally think

    hittingpoppers , Svetlana Obysova Report

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    #4

    Person wrapped in a striped blanket, holding a phone, appearing concerned in an outdoor setting; life-saving tip context. You should still attempt to dial 911 in an emergency even if you have no bars of signal. There are protocols that allow your phone to bounce signals off any tower available, including military/first responder ones and towers not on your network in the event that you attempt to call 911.

    SloshedEvilOven , RDNE Stock project Report

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    #5

    Blonde woman in a leather jacket, standing outdoors, illustrating the concept of searching deadly places. if it feels wrong, it probably is. trust that gut feeling, it’s there for a reason.

    FalseConcept3607 Report

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    #6

    Person crossing a street, focusing on their shoes, highlighting safety awareness in potentially deadly places. Teach your kids that if they're ever separated from you to find any closest adult (in emergencies). The likelihood of THE next person you would walk up to being a [predator] are slim to none. But the odds increase dramatically waiting for the first person to approach a child alone.

    Necromancer4276 , Uriel Mont Report

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    #7

    A person in a vehicle looking out over a field, highlighting awareness of potentially deadly places. Driving is not a race or "game" that you have to win. There are no prizes.

    evilmonkey2 , Tobi Report

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    #8

    Scenic mountain reflection in a clear stream with rocky banks, highlighting nature's deadly beauty. The rocks from a river absorb water. When rapidly heated it causes the absorbed water to boil much quicker than steam can escape the rock. This buildup of steam causes the rock to explode, sending hot rock fragments everywhere.

    So don't use rocks from a river to make a fire pit.

    SuvenPan , James Wheeler Report

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    #9

    Red knitted fabric texture, close-up detail, showcasing the intricacies of woven patterns in textiles. Wool is warmer than anything that feels warm, even when wet.

    Classic-File-7002 , Engin Akyurt Report

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    #10

    Green exit sign glowing in a dark hallway, highlighting safety measures for the most deadly places. My mom always taught me to count rows between your seat and the emergency exit. So if you can’t see where you are going you can feel where you are going. I’ll never forget that.

    takeyourvitam1ns , Slyzyy Report

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    #11

    Foggy, icy landscape scene showing trees and a frozen lake, highlighting the deadly beauty of nature. I live in Canada, this only applies to cold climates. They are not dead until they are warm and dead. There are many cases where somebody got stuck outside and froze then doctor revived them.

    Ewok-Assasin , Nikolai Ulltang Report

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    #12

    Doctor in a white coat and stethoscope reviewing a tablet, focusing on methods to save lives in critical situations. Getting a second or even third opinion. You know yourself better than they do. If you don’t get answers please keep looking. Please don’t settle.

    imahillbilly Report

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    #13

    Tropical beach landscape with rocks and palm trees, depicting a serene yet potentially deadly place. If you're at the beach and the water recedes suddenly, run and get to the highest ground you can find. A Tsunami is on the way

    blockneighborradio , Fabian Wiktor Report

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    #14

    Person in a hood standing on a dimly lit pier at night, symbolizing deadly places to search first. If someone comes at you with a weapon and tells you to go with them, DO NOT. Never go to the second location.

    arthurrules , Paul Garaizar Report

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    #15

    Person with yellow backpack in a forest examining a map, highlighting deadly places search strategy for survival. If you get lost in the wilderness the best thing to do is to stay calm and stay put. Unless there is an immediate threat to your safety in the area, just sit down and wait for someone to come find you.

    Many people die or get seriously injured because they keep moving and Search & Rescue can't catch up to them.

    weirdoldhobo1978 , Life Folk Report

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    #16

    A curious raccoon on the forest floor, highlighting the importance of identifying deadly places for safety. If you get bit by a wild animal, get yourself to a hospital ASAP and tell them that. You don’t want rabies to set in.

    penndelnj , Olia Gozha Report

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    #17

    Swamp with green algae, representing one of the most deadly places in nature. If you've gone two and a half or more days without water, and you have to choose between drinking water without any way to sanitize it or not drinking water, drink the water. If you don't, you'll definitely die soon. Most of the diseases you can get from bad water take a couple days to set in, which gives you more time to find help.

    thecallouscyclist , Jordan Whitfield Report

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    #18

    Bottles of lemon bleach on a supermarket shelf, highlighting potential deadly places in household settings. don't mix bleach with anything but water

    justtrashtalk , Nothing Ahead Report

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    #19

    Aerial view of ocean waves on a sandy beach, highlighting deadly places like rip currents for safety awareness. If you get caught in a rip current, don’t fight it. It won’t pull you under. People die because they panic, fight it, and get tired and then drown.

    When you can, swim parallel to the shore out of the rip and then diagonally back to shore.

    EDIT: I’m taking out the part about “let it take you out” because people bring up a point below that you should start swimming parallel immediately. I just meant you shouldn’t fight it and swim against straight back to shore. That’s not going to end well. Stay safe out there everyone!

    d_in_dc , Gui Basto Report

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    #20

    A person practices a life-saving technique on another, focusing on the shoulder area, highlighting first aid skills. Don’t pull a knife or anything else out of a puncture wound. The object may very well be keeping you from bleeding out, only a medical professional should remove something stuck in you.

    itaintme99 , Ryutaro Tsukata Report

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    #21

    A doctor in a white coat examines life-saving data on a laptop at his desk with a human anatomy chart in the background. The symptoms of a heart attack are different for women.

    Have a mole check as soon as you can.

    Never put off going to the Dr if you think something is wrong.

    Fight your Dr if they don't help you. Never give up. It's YOUR life that is in danger, not theirs.

    Sensitive-Issue84 , Tima Miroshnichenko Report

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    #22

    Jar tipped over with white powder on wooden table, representing one of the most deadly places with potential hazards. Baking soda will extinguish a fire, even grease and electrical fires.

    You should always keep a box of it nearby when you're cooking and grilling.

    amadeus2490 , Kaboompics .com Report

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    #23

    Person wading in water with clothes on, highlighting one of the most deadly places in survival situations. You lose heat 20 times faster when wet vs being dry. Shed wet clothes.

    Substantial_Cable_51 , Maria Vybor Report

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    #24

    Feet with red nail polish standing on a pink scale, showing a weight around 135 pounds in focus. Losing weight without trying could very well be cancer.

    Careful_Manner , SHVETS production Report

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    #25

    Skier descending a steep, snowy slope surrounded by trees under a clear blue sky, illustrating deadly places. Never walk/ski/snowboard near trees when there is heavy snow- there is something called a "tree well" that sometimes forms under trees where if you fall in you will become impacted by snow, often upside down and suffocate to death

    MetamorphicMermaid , Pixabay Report

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    #26

    Car exhaust emits fumes, highlighting deadly places related to air quality and pollution risks. Carbon monoxide is odorless. Get a detector.

    TemperatureTop246 , Khunkorn Laowisit Report

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    #27

    Woman looking upset, sitting indoors against a brick wall, relating to deadly places. A fishy smell in your house could mean there’s an electrical fire

    Jeremyvts , Polina Zimmerman Report

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