Steps to take that could save your life if your vehicle is submerged

The tragic story of three Dickinson State college students drowning in their car is raising the question, how do you survive a vehicle sinking into water? WDAY 6 Reporter Jason Vincent talks with a water rescue expert and shows you six simple tips to walk away alive.

Surviving a crash into the water comes down to two easy steps. Having a plan and understanding it. Experts say six simple tests can ensure you walk away alive.

The first step is open the window as much as possible as soon as possible. This will let water to flow into the car at a steady pace. Your car will float 1 to 2 minutes before being submerged, so even your electric windows should work.

If you can't get the window to open, try to find a pointy object to break the window. Next, find the door handle quickly and hold onto it. It's easy to get disoriented and not be able to find it.

Third and most important, remain calm. Most deaths in submerged cars happen because people panic. Fourth, don't try opening the door right away, but actually wait until the car is below water. That way the pressure is stabilized and you can easily open the door.

Leave your seat belt on until you're ready to open the door and escape. If you don't, you could float around and not have leverage when trying to open the door.

Lastly swim to the surface as fast as possible. With the help of these six simple tips, being trapped in a sinking vehicle is survivable.