Random Creepy Things You Didn't Know About Falling To Your Death (12 items)

(#7) You Could Experience Massive Internal Bleeding

Once the blood vessels have ruptured and the heart briefly continues to pump blood, the result can be internal bleeding. With a bad fall, bleeding occurs all over the body, including in the brain. But since the pathways for the blood to travel have been damaged, the blood then pools inside the body.

Even if there is no clear sign of external injury, our bodies may experience this life-threatening condition after severe trauma, such as through falling, a car accident, taking a hard punch, or having an object of great weight dropped on the body.
(#1) You Might Fall Faster Than You Can Think

Although our brains account for only a small percentage of our body mass, they require approximately 20 percent of our energy. While our reaction times can be quiet fast - like 250 mph - the time in which we experience pain or process trauma is much slower. Signals travel through our brains at a rate of about one meter per second.

So depending on how short the fall is, one could hit the ground before even processing what's happening.
(#5) Your Aorta Might Disconnect From Your Heart

A fall from a great height can disconnect the aorta - the largest blood vessel pumping blood - from the heart. The heart may then continue to beat and distribute blood into the body cavity, but this only continues for a few seconds.

Because the cells and blood vessels have ruptured, the brain no longer receives the blood necessary to keep functioning.
(#4) Your Cells Can Burst

Decelerating rapidly - which is what happens if the human body falls and then makes sudden impact - can cause cells to rupture. Like cells, blood vessels can also break open, preventing the circulation of oxygen throughout the body. Without oxygen, our organs, including the brain, cease to function.

As one skydiver muses: "It's not the fall that gets you [...] It's the sudden stop at the bottom."
(#11) Your Standard Terminal Velocity Is Around 120 MPH, But You Could Reach 200 MPH

The terminal velocity of a human (the fastest speed we can fall) is around 120 mph. However, this is determined by calculating the wind resistance against a flat body. If you dress yourself in an aerodynamic latex suit and dive headfirst, rather than belly flat and parallel to the ground, you might reach speeds of 200 mph.

If someone is free falling with legs and arms spread, the appendages are more likely to catch wind resistance, which would slow down the faller. A ball-like position will increase the terminal velocity.
(#8) Things Could Get Messy

Depending on what kind of surface breaks the impact of a fall, there could be a lot of blood spatter. Even if the person falling lands in one piece, the impact could cause external injuries. These injuries may lead to bleeding out since the blood vessels are unable to contain the blood anymore.

An adult human has approximately 1.2 to 1.5 gallons of blood inside the body. Forensic analysts can also use the pattern of blood spatter to determine the height, force, and velocity of how someone fell.