How To: Save your life by sawing your trapped arm off à la Danny Boyle's 127 Hours

How to Save your life by sawing your trapped arm off à la Danny Boyle's 127 Hours

How far would you go to save your life?

For James Franco, who plays real-life hiker Aron Ralston in Danny Boyle's "127 Hours", staying alive means cutting off your own arm with a dull pocketknife. If you've seen the movie (or even heard about all the people who fainted and threw up after watching it), you know that it presents one of the most grueling self-amputation and bone breaking scenes in movie history.

If you find yourself stuck in a similar situation, amputation may just be your only choice. Check out this video for tips on how to chop off your arm and save your life.

Hopefully, you'll never have to cut off your own arm in order to survive. But if you ever find yourself in that predicament, here's what you need to know to save your life.

Step 1: Break the bones

Find a way to break the bones in your arms. It's not easy to cut through bone, unless you happen to have a power tool on you.

Step 2: Put on a tourniquet

Before you attempt to cut off your arm, tie a tourniquet several inches above the amputation site with whatever you have on hand, like a piece of cloth or a belt. Without it, you could bleed to death when you sever an artery.

Step 3: Start sawing

Start sawing through your skin and muscles, trying to avoid major arteries until the end. The tendons will be the hardest parts to cut through; if you have a pair of pliers, use them to twist and snap the tougher ones.

Be prepared for an excruciating burning sensation.

Step 4: Brace yourself

Brace yourself for the worst part of your ordeal: snipping through the nerves. This will be the most painful part of cutting off your arm.

Step 5: Bandage the stump

Once you've completely cut off your arm, undo the tourniquet and wrap the stump in whatever material you have on hand. Get medical attention as soon as possible.