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How to Use a Lifeguard Rescue Tube
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How to use a lifeguard rescue tube is mostly a question of where it is at each moment. The tube is the single piece of equipment that makes a rescue survivable for the rescuer, and it only works if it is between you and the victim when contact happens.
How do I use a lifeguard rescue tube during a rescue?
On the stand. Across the lap or held in the hands, strap coiled, never hanging from a hook behind you. A tube you have to collect is a tube that costs you seconds inside a 20 second standard.
On entry. Held firmly to the chest with the strap secured in the hand, so nothing trails and nothing wraps a limb.
On the approach. Trailing behind on the strap, clear of your arms so it does not fight your stroke.
For the last few yards. Head up, tube pulled forward into both hands. You should be holding it before you are within the victim’s reach.
At contact. Extended to an active victim from the front, or pushed under both armpits from the rear. Under the shoulders or across the chest for a passive victim to hold the airway up.
On the tow. Grip the far side and lean back, keeping the casualty level and their face clear.
Care and checks
Check the tube at every opening: no splits in the foam, the strap not frayed, the clip working, the tow line intact. A tube that fails mid-rescue leaves a guard holding a struggling adult with nothing between them.
The habit that matters
Beyond the mechanics, knowing how to use a lifeguard rescue tube means carrying it everywhere. Walking the deck, rotating positions, responding to a first aid call on land. Guards who put it down on the way to something else are the guards who do not have it when the whistle goes for something different.
How to use a lifeguard rescue tube: frequently asked questions
How do you use a lifeguard rescue tube?
On the stand hold it ready with the strap coiled, secure it to your chest on entry, trail it on the approach, bring it into both hands for the final yards, then extend it to an active victim or place it under the armpits from behind, and tow from the far side.
Where should the tube be during contact?
Always between the rescuer and the victim. That is the entire reason it exists, and closing to arm reach without it in your hands is how rescuers get grabbed.
What should be checked on a rescue tube?
At every opening, check for splits in the foam, a frayed strap, a working clip and an intact tow line. A tube that fails mid-rescue leaves the guard with no barrier.
Reviewed by Jackie Stern, Lifeguard Instructor, Firefighter and EMT. Jackie Stern has taught lifeguarding for more than 20 years and works as a firefighter, EMT and swim instructor. She reviews course content, prerequisites and rescue standards against current certification requirements.
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