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Passive Drowning Victim Rescue
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A passive drowning victim rescue is the one where time converts directly into outcome. The casualty is unresponsive, is not breathing, and has been that way for as long as it took you to notice.
What are the steps of a passive drowning victim rescue?
- Enter and approach at full speed. There is no self-protection consideration, because a passive victim will not grab you.
- Reach the victim and get a hand under the head and one on the far shoulder or arm.
- Roll them face up in one controlled movement, supporting the head and neck throughout.
- Bring the face clear of the water immediately and check for breathing.
- Place the tube under the shoulders or across the chest to hold the airway up.
- Tow to the nearest exit point and signal for backup as you go.
- Extricate and begin care. Drowning is a hypoxic arrest, so ventilations matter early.
Why the roll is the technical part
You are turning a limp body in water while keeping the head in line with the spine, because you do not yet know why they are unresponsive. A head or neck injury from a dive or a fall presents exactly the same way as a medical collapse. Support the head as though there is a spinal injury until you know there is not.
Submerged victims
A passive victim on the bottom needs a surface dive, a secure hold and a controlled ascent. This is what the brick retrieval in the prerequisite screen exists to test, and it is why that screen is not waived at recertification.
Do not stop to assess in the water
Beyond confirming the absence of breathing, in-water assessment wastes the only resource that matters. Compressions cannot be performed in water. The whole of a passive drowning victim rescue is getting the airway up and the casualty out.
Passive drowning victim rescue: frequently asked questions
How do you perform a passive drowning victim rescue?
For a passive drowning victim rescue, reach the casualty at full speed, roll them face up in one controlled movement while supporting the head and neck, bring the face clear of the water, support the airway with the tube, and tow straight to extrication.
Why support the head during the roll?
Because you do not yet know why the victim is unresponsive. A dive or fall injury looks identical to a medical collapse, so the head is kept in line with the spine until proven otherwise.
Should you assess the victim in the water?
No further than confirming they are not breathing. Compressions cannot be given in water, so everything after that is about getting the casualty out.
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