Looking for great pay? Like physical work? Enjoy plenty of time off? A career as an offshore oil rig worker might be the perfect fit. But to get the job, you'll first need to take a dip and drown. Not fully drowned, of course — just partially.
Oil rigs are often set up far from shore. From the top of many rigs, it's nothing but ocean to every horizon. Should offshore workers find themselves taking a splash, top-notch survival skills are a must. We're not talking about basic doggy paddling or treading water either.
Getting to an oil rig frequently requires a trip via helicopter. While modern helicopters are quite safe, accidents happen, and the craft could plunge into the ocean. Do you know how to get out of a sinking helicopter? Probably not. But oil rig workers do because they train extensively to make such an escape.
During water training, rig workers are loaded into dummy helicopter fuselages, then dunked into pools, according to The Wall Street Journal. Once underwater, the workers must undo the four-point harnesses holding them in. Next, they need to remove the nearest window and escape through the hole left behind. A single escape isn't enough either, workers instead get dunked again and again. Practice makes perfect, after all. At times, the fuselage is flipped upside down as well, forcing escapees to escape from a whole new perspective.
So what's the secret to surviving in the event of a helicopter crash? Experts urge you to keep calm and swim on. If you panic, your chances of survival greatly decrease. Keep your wits about you and you're far more likely to reach the surface, which is why oil rig workers undergo water survival training every few years.
