underwater escape

Fleeing beneath waves

An underwater escape is a magic trick or stunt in which a performer, typically restrained by handcuffs, chains, or a straitjacket, frees themselves while submerged—often in a locked container.

Harry Houdini popularized the feat in the early 1900s.

The term also describes emergency techniques for escaping a submerged vehicle: The instructor demonstrated underwater escape from a helicopter.

Related

submersible · hatch · airlock · submarine · Houdini · tank · straps · breaking free · handcuffs · chains · thrash · fight or flight · gasp · coming up for air · lungs · bubbles · murky · depths

Opposites
action type

underwater escapesubmersion

Being entirely underwater

diving in · submerging · going under · sinking

outcome/result

underwater escapedrowning

Death by water inhalation

going down with the ship · watery grave · sinking

Family

underwater, escape, under, water, waters, watered, watering, watery, waterless

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated PG