Page 25 - Participant Manual

Box 1-7. Reach or Throw, Don’t Go!

Never go into water or onto ice in an attempt to
rescue a person who is in trouble. Instead, get help
from a trained responder, such as a lifeguard, to get
the person out of the water as quickly and safely
as possible.
Reaching and throwing assists are the safest
assists for responders who are not professionally
trained lifeguards to use to help a person who is
in trouble in the water. When doing a reaching or
throwing assist:

■ Talk to the person and let the person know
help is coming.

■ Tell the person what he or she can do to
help with the rescue, such as grasping a
line or other floating device. Use gestures to
communicate with the person if it is too noisy
or if the person is too far away to hear.

■ Encourage the person to move toward safety
by kicking his or her legs or stroking with his or
her arms. Some people are able to reach safety Throwing assist. A throwing assist involves
by themselves with calm encouragement from throwing a floating object to the person so that
a person on the deck or shore. he or she can grasp it and be pulled to safety. A
floating object with a line attached (such as a ring
Reaching assist. To do a reaching assist, use any buoy) is ideal for a throwing assist; however, a line
available object that will extend your reach and or an object that floats (such as a life jacket or
give the person something to grab onto (such as a cooler) can also be used alone.
pole, an oar or paddle, a branch or a towel). Extend
the object to the person, tell him or her to hold on, Wading assist. A wading assist involves wading
and pull the person to safety. If no equipment is into the water and using a reaching assist to help
available and you are close enough, you may be pull the person to safety. Only use a wading assist
able to perform a reaching assist by extending your in water that is less than chest deep. If a current or
arm to the person. You can also perform a reaching soft bottom makes wading dangerous, do not enter
assist from a position within the water by extending the water. For your own safety, wear a life jacket
an arm or a leg to the person, if you are already if one is available and take something to extend
in the water and you have something secure to to the person, such as a ring buoy, branch, pole
© 2011, 2016 The American National Red Cross. All rights reserved.
hold onto. or paddle.

■ What is your initial impression about the nature of the person’s illness or injury? Before you
reach the person, try to form an initial impression about the person’s condition and what is wrong. For
example, does the person seem alert, or confused or sleepy? Look at the person’s skin—does it appear to
be its normal color, or does it seem pale, ashen (gray) or flushed? Is the person moving, or motionless?
Does the person have any immediately identifiable injuries? Look for signs of a life-threatening illness
or injury, such as loss of consciousness, trouble breathing or severe bleeding. If you see severe, life-
threatening bleeding, use the resources available to you to control the bleeding as soon as possible
(see Chapter 6).

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