# Could you dig yourself out of a grave? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 30, 2004, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309 "2004-11-30T10:17:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309/41 "2004-12-04T03:52:13Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > The concrete liner/vault is going to be a hell of a challange, though. Do those have “floors”? If so, the whole thing’s probably moot. (Moreso) I only once watched into an opened vault. I suppose there was a floor, though I couldn’t see it, because there was water on it. I suppose water would have penetrated the soil and dissapeared if there wasn’t any floor. But then, maybe not. it could have rained recently for instance, and the water somehow entered the vault. In any case, there’s an entrance to a vault, out of necessity. In this case a kind of concrete slab, with a large ring as handle. But this “door” was situated below ground level. So, to enter the vault to bury someone, you would have to dig in front of it so to access to the “door”, then remove it (maybe it was sealed, I wouldn’t know). If you’re inside, I assume you’re out of luck (though probably not as much as in a grave). You can’t push it, so you have to somehow pull it inside. Maybe if this trapdoor doesn’t fit too well into the vault entrance, there’s some space left between the door and the wall, and it’s not sealed, you could insert something (a coffin handle, for instance) and somehow pull it inside. From there, it should be easy to dig your way out. I wouldn’t bet on your success, though. And that’s assuming that you somehow manage to extract yourself from the coffin, and I can’t see a way you could do that, if the coffin is made out anything else than cardboard. ---
**Author:** ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309/42 "2004-12-04T03:56:41Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] It’s not going to work, whichever way you slice it. First off, the embalming process, now rather common in many parts of the world, will kill you, but lets say they forget that bit, or you somehow miraculously survive it… Next problem: the coffin lid is screwed down - even an ordinary timber coffin is going to be very hard to break out of - if you had some room to take a run or swing at it, you might be able to kick the lid off, but you don’t have much room at all and even if you did, you can’t kick the lid off because there’s a ton of dirt stacked on it. Oh, the lid is probably padded a bit too, which doesn’t help. Or maybe the coffin is actually made of stainless steel or lined with lead, in which case you’re screwed. No matter; suppose you somehow manage to break a hole in the lid; your next trouble is actually a couple of simultaneous problems, namely: -You need to move from a cramped, horizontal space into a vertical tunnel, through a hole in the coffin lid that is large enough to let you turn the corner, but small enough that the soil above doesn’t just trickle in and fill the coffin around you. -You need to _dig_ the tunnel up to the surface and you need somewhere to put the spoil you’re digging out. If the soil is loosely compacted and dry, digging will be easier, except that it will tend to just crumble in on you and smother you If the soil is damp clay, it’s less likely to collapse in on you, but it will be much harder to dig and to transport back to the foot of the coffin (the only place you’ve got to put it). Never mind though, let’s suppose you manage to get started tunnelling upward, somehow. Now you’ve only got to worry about six teeny tiny problems: [ul][li]You won’t be able to pack the spoil below you as tightly as it was when you dug it out, so your tunnel can only get smaller as you move upwards[/li][li]If the fill is at all loose, it will settle about you and trap you anyway[/li][li]Your oxygen supply is limited.[/li][li]A few short hours ago, you were mistaken for a dead person, so you’re not exactly on top physical form[/li][li]It’s completely and utterly dark; come to think of it, that is a problem for every other stage in the process[/li][li]Even if you do somehow manage to claw your way to the surface, you’re going to look a real mess; filthy, bruised, bleeding, gaunt, clammy with sweat, wearing tattered clothes and probably unable to speak much more than moans and croaks; the moment you get your head and maybe one grasping arm clear of the surface, some bystander (preconditioned by movies such as _Dawn of the Dead_ etc) is quite likely to freak out and beat the fuck out of you with a shovel.[/ul][/li][/QUOTE] Most impressive thing I’ve read all day. Hats off to you! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309/43 "2004-12-04T04:55:28Z")
> [@The Mermaid](#): > > Oh believe me I know the whole story just reeks of bullshit and I still have a hard time even starting to consider it believeable. But, nonetheless, my husband’s family seems to believe it so what can I do? > > The trouble with this and any good urban legend is there is just enough truth there to make it seem plausible. > > Yes there was a horrible flu epidemic going on. Yes several family members died. No, she was not embalmed. Sometimes it is very hard to distinguish between the dead and the living when one is lingering on the verge of both. > > Still it makes for a good story to tell whenever you’re at the cemetary standing near Aunt Millie’s grave. You might want to show them this to see if reality does indeed follow fiction or if it simply fiction itself. > **[Humor & Whimsy](https://www.liveabout.com/humor-4687973)** > > Indulge your curiosity and have a little fun with these stories about the weird and the wonderful. With articles on aliens, cats, cartoons, and hoaxes, this collection is guaranteed boredom-basher. ---
**Author:** ![tonnie33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@tonnie33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonnie33)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309/44 "2012-02-05T18:20:13Z")
https://abcnews.go.com/video/twittercard?id=15112056 Not saying of course one could always did out…but there is proof of this one time. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309/45 "2012-02-05T18:34:40Z")
Mythbusters also tested the Kill Bill scenario digging your way out and found that it didn’t work because the earth would slide inside faster than you could shovel. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309/46 "2012-02-05T18:41:37Z")
Getting out of a grave is an old magicians trick. Its called Buried Alive. Several have died attempting it. Joe Burrus died when the coffin collapsed and he was smothered. I’ve heard of others, there was on in Seattle a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309/47 "2012-02-05T18:43:00Z")
> [@tonnie33](#): > > [http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/woman-survives-buried-alive-digs-engagement-ring-15112056](http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/woman-survives-buried-alive-digs-engagement-ring-15112056) > > Not saying of course one could always did out..but there is proof of this one time. She was in a cardboard box, not a coffin. It wasn’t a normal burial; she was less than 6 inches down. [Cite](http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/264586/20111209/woman-buried-alive-engagement-ring-dig-herself.htm) ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309/48 "2012-02-05T19:02:23Z")
This is pretty much the perfect question for a zombie thread. ---
**Author:** ![isaiahrobinson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85e7bf/32.png) [@isaiahrobinson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isaiahrobinson)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309/49 "2012-02-05T19:02:30Z")
The main problem for trying to survive a premature burial is that the average person will lose consciousness from lack of oxygen within a few minutes, even quicker if they’re panicking, furiously trying to break the coffin lid or digging their way out. Assuming it’s all an accident and you were unconscious when you were lowered into the grave, the chances of you waking up in time to realize what’s happened are very slim. In films, where the victim is deliberately buried alive, there’s usually something like an air vent supplying the coffin with oxygen to make the experience last longer. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309/50 "2012-02-05T21:21:50Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > Poe apparently was realy scarred of the idea. A number of his stories invovle pre-mature entombment in them, though only one is intentional as far as I know. > > Actually, it seemed be a big thing among some 19th century authors. _Les Miserables_ has a part where ValJean is almost buried alive on accident… George Washington was concerned enough about it that he left instructions that he was not to be buried for 12 days after he was pronounced dead. He died in 1799. Of course Wiki has a page on the subject: [Premature burial - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premature_burial) ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309/51 "2012-02-05T22:31:13Z")
This was the topic of E.A. Poe’s creepy story-“The Premature Burial”. It scared the crap out of me, as a kid. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309/52 "2012-02-06T03:00:39Z")
I once read in a book about survival to cover your face with your shirt so the soil doesn’t fall on your face. If the coffin is soft wood, you might be able to break out. If not, use something hard (a button) to tap SOS in Morse code on the coffin (…—…) - sound travels further underground and someone might hear you. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309/53 "2012-02-06T03:28:35Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > Actually, if anything I’d say this charming discussion of being buried alive is causing me to give cremation more consideration. At least that gets it over quickly (I would think). > > Although the best bet seems to be donating your body to medicine. You’d probably end up as a sample cadaver for some med students to disect. I only hope they’ll have done their homework and will know how to tell a live body from a dead one. > [@paulberserker](#): > > Theres a long process for the cadavers before they get anywhere near med students, ie embalming. I don’t think they use formaldehyde anymore, but I think its fairly toxic. They don’t get to practice on fresh bodies, although someone who actually is a Med student may prove me wrong. > \* Not only are the cadavers in anatomy lab well preserved/embalmed, but they have had their brains removed before we medical students get to them. So they shouldn’t even be undead by that point. > [@Gfactor](#): > > [Hijack] Here’s another bit of dead person trivia. When my grandfather recently died, my mom did a fair bit of worrying about whether he should get “the shot.” Apparently. because jewish custom does not permit embalming, there is more of a fear that a relative might be mistaken for dead. In order to avoid this terrible consequence, the bereaved are offered the opportunity to make sure their relative is dead before burial–by killing them. I couldn’t help snickering at the irony.[/Hijack] I have never heard of anything like that, and it seems to be contrary to Jewish law for several reasons. Do you have any more information about it? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309/54 "2012-02-06T04:55:41Z")
I bet you’d have a fighting chance if you were interred in New Orleans. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309/55 "2012-02-06T06:09:19Z")
God, this is truly a thread that zombies read. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-dig-yourself-out-of-a-grave/277309.md?page=2)