Ok i'm writing a novel where my character commits suicide by drowning himself. He ties his feet together,, attaches weights to his ankles, tapes the rope so he can't untie himself, puts his hands inside his shirt and jumps from a harbor into the sea. I need to know how much weight will my character need in order to successfully drown himself and sink to the bottom. 1) Will metal barbell plates work? (The plates they use in dumbbells inside the gyms) They are made out of steel and iron as far i know. 2) How much weight approx will he need to sink?Are 20kg (44lbs) enough to sink him down? 3) Will he begin sinking the second he enters the sea with the weights? 4) After my characters dies, will his body rise to the surface or the 20kg weights will hold his body at the bottom of the sea forever? He is using a backpack to carry the weights. The character weighs 70kg (154lbs), he is 6 feet tall and the sea where he jumps is 30feet deep. I want to make it as realistic as possible. Thanks
Does your character plan to drown himself so that his body is never found? I'm asking this because drowning doesn't seem like the best option to end one's life and you might consider hanging or overdose. If you really want to stick to the downing though, your character could drive his car into the sea as that would be a good way to sink.
In general, I wouldn't worry too much about the specifics. But as far as your questions - yes, barbell plates would work. I believe 20kg would be enough, and the body wouldn't float back up unless it came free from the weights somehow. And he would start sinking the second he entered the sea, definitely. Remember that the character doesn't have perfect knowledge unless he does some research himself. This also seems like a very, very premeditated suicide, which is slightly unusual. It would also be extremely unpleasant.
Nope that's not why he is doing it. The reason my character chooses to drown himself is because he wants to succeed in his suicide no matter what, he doesn't have an option to fail. That's why he chooses to drown himself to make his death 100% certain. I see thanks! The pain of drowning is the last thing my character cares or even thinks about.
Yes 20k would be more than enough, especially when he releases his breath underwater as there will be little that would make him float up after that anyway. Staying on the bottom would only happen if he keeps the back pack on though because decomposing can creat a gas build up inside his body which could make it resurface unless some thing is holding him down. Might want to make sure the backpack can never come off if you don't want him found floating.
A couple of cinder blocks will keep down most long enough to drown them, but barbells will definitely do the job as well. Are you planning on describing the feelings he goes through as he shoots to the bottom of the water and all that?
I think if he were to find some kind of drug that causes his muscles to cease working (like a relaxer or something), take one right before he's swimming or jump off a cliff and then go face down in the water, that'd make the death extremely sad and pretty poignant to the reader.
Indeed i will make sure of that. Yes definitely , Cinderblocks are quite big, they wouldn't fit inside the backpack probably and they would also be extremely heavy to carry them with just hands. A cinderblock weighs around 11-15kg. I don't think it will be necessary, feet will be tied up tightly and hands inside the shirt. And when he starts breathing into the water, he will be even more helpless due to panic and pain. My character doesn't own a car and the harbor is the closest place he can go to but great idea.
This does see like an unusual way to commit suicide...but that makes me intrigued about your character and the state he is in. Especially considering drowning is a very violent and painful way to die. It will definitley be interesting.
I'm intrigued - does he regret it as he sinks to the bottom? Is he terrified? Or is he relieved that his mission is complete? Hands inside his shirt sounds a little... amateurish given everything else he'd got planned, all of which sounded pretty brutal and absolute. Try putting your hands into a double noose - that way, you can tie both hands behind your back and once you're in water, with the panic, it'd be nigh impossible to loosen the noose on your wrists. Also, please don't "tape" the rope. Tape comes off when it gets wet (including duct tape - unless there's some waterproof tape I'd not heard of before), so IMO it'd make your character's dramatic death silly because I'd spot that right away and make me think of the situation as ridiculous, just for a split second but that's enough to break the illusion - and it's a climactic point so you wouldn't want that.
so it sounds like he is not sure if he can go through with it ? that's going to be regretful few minutes sinking to the bottom! but anyway I do like the car idea, brake the handles or the locks which pop up so he can't get out, play some music on the radio and he can slowly sink to his watery grave but the other way is good too
Walter, just thought I would throw this in there if you didn't think of it yet. Some backpacks have straps that come around which either click together or can be fastened somehow. It would probably be a better way of arranging it so the backpack doesn't come off instead of duct taping himself in to it or something.
I see this as an opportunity to expand your character. Maybe you can have a scene where he thinks about using gym weights, an old TV, or cinder blocks from the construction yard. You can detail his thought process and make him more well rounded. If that fits into your writing style. I think a suicidal person who try to find the heaviest thing possible. Maybe he would go overkill and find a bunch of cinder blocks.
He is more than relieved, doesn't regret it at all, he smiles at the end. Well i won't go in details, he experienced some traumatic events in his life and now he can't function properly as a normal person can. People expect him to do things that he can't do. He doesn't have anyone to make him feel a little better or safe, just painful memories that haunt him every night. Nobody understands him. He thinks this life is nothing but a curse. He is about to explode because he can't take it anymore. He doesn't want to live in fear anymore. Well the survival instinct is very strong, that's why my character is taking as many precautions as he can to immobilize himself. He doesn't care how much pain he will feel as long as he dies.
He will tie the backpack with a rope and attach to his ankles, he is just using the tape for a second precaution after the rope.
