Minecraft wiki entry for Mining, associated text: If the player falls into lava, do not panic; swim upward to get out, then try to get far away from the lava and to water if they can. This way even if they die, their items won't be destroyed by the lava. If they need to heal, eat golden apples or drink some Potions of Healing or Regeneration and hide in a corner/away from mobs, and make sure they use a water bucket if they have one. If the player know they are going to die anyway, press F3 and F2 (and also press fn together if the F2 or F3 button has other functions) to take a screenshot of their coordinates. If they are burning to death, trapped, close to the lava, stand in a corner and encase themselves in a dirt or other hand breakable shell. Once they die, their items will be contained safely in the shell.