Have the life vests under the seats in airplanes actually ever saved someone's life?

Answer 1

Yes. The Air Florida Flight 90 crash into Washington, DC's 14th Street Bridge in 1982 is one example. Only 4 people survived but life vests were crucial to their survival; the plane ended up falling into the Potomac River, which was partially covered in ice as this happened in the winter. People go into hypothermia very quickly when they're in freezing water; the few survivors were all close to death when rescuers reached them and at least one woman was unconcious. Without her life vest, she would have drowned.

Answer 2

Yes, but they also kill if misused. The flight that crashed off an island (Ethiopian airlines?) after a hijack attempt had several people killed because they inflated their life jackets INSIDE the aircraft and couldn't get out - and ended up drowning.

Lesson: always inflate your life jacket OUTSIDE the plane.

Answer 3

Good question. I would like to know the answer too.