The transport and movement of an injured or incapacitated victim requires skill and care. The coastal and aquatic environment presents some unique challenges. Inshore areas can be treacherous, and beaches can be difficult places for vehicles and manual handling techniques.
Where urgency is not required, there is usually time to develop a team approach and to select a method of movement that is appropriate for your safety and that of the victim. Use of bystanders should be considered when trained lifesavers or first responders are not available.
Before moving a victim, you should consider:
- equipment available
- location—how far you must move them and over what terrain
- safe manual handling techniques (see Manual handling)
- the victim’s injury and condition
- urgency.
Your safety is most important when lifting or moving any rescue victim. Seek assistance from other lifesavers or bystanders if you do not have the strength or body size to manoeuvre a victim safely. Remember to follow the steps on ‘how to lift’ outlined in the Safety and Wellbeing module of this manual as well as those relating to victim handling below.
When lifting or lowering a victim as a team, everyone should move at the same time on an agreed count, e.g., a team leader counts ‘three, two, one, lift’ or ‘three, two, one, lower’.
