INSIDE EDITION has the tips you need to get out alive if your plane goes down in open water like the U.S. Airways jet that went down on Thursday, 1/15 in the Hudson River.

Correspondent Paul Boyd attended an underwater training at Survival Systems USA in Groton, Connecticut. The company is used by the U.S. military and private corporations to prepare passengers for life-threatening catastrophes.

Once inside the simulator participants practiced getting the exit doors open.

Next, in full crash mode, Boyd braced for a ditching, a crash landing in water. Just like the passengers who were forced to ditch in the Hudson River, participants assumed the crash position as the simulator dropped into a massive pool then spins and rolls.

Completely disoriented, Boyd mistakenly swam to the exit door on the other side of the plane. The safety instructor says your life depends on the following tips:

- Wait to take your last deep breathe as long as you possibly can
- Wait for plane to stop moving
- Keep your seatbelt buckled so you remain in place

For those passengers seated near an exit, the seatbelt also affords some leverage to push open the exit door.

Once on the surface, INSIDE EDITION's correspondent and the other "survivors" are taught to interlock their legs and stay together. The group also learned how to prepare for rescues by the Coast Guard.

And finally, one of the most important things that gives you the best chance to get out alive, don't panic.