Ch. 29-Lifting and
Moving Victims
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General Principles of Moving
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If you find a victim in a facedown position, move the
person to an assessment position after doing the ABCD
assessment and checking for possible neck and spinal
injury
Generally, you should not move a victim if moving the
person will make injuries worse
Move a victim only if there is immediate danger
If it is necessary to move a victim, your speed will
depend on the reason for the move
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When to make an emergency move when
no other options are available:
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Uncontrolled traffic
Physically unstable surroundings (such as a vehicle on its
side that you cannot stabilize)
Exposure to hazardous materials
Fire or threat of fire (fire should always be considered a
grave threat)
Hostile crowds
The need to reposition the victim in order to provide lifesaving treatment (such as moving to a firm, flat surface to
perform CPR)
The need for access (you may need to move one victim to
gain access to another)
Weather conditions (you need to control exposure
if the weather is very cold, wet, or hot, or windy
enough to turn objects into projectiles)
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PROGRESS CHECK
1. In general, you should move a victim to an assessment
position only after checking for possible ____________
injury. (head/spinal/chest)
2. Unless there is a pressing reason, you should move a victim
only after ____________. (necessary first aid care/thorough
assessment/help arrives on the scene)
3. The speed with which you move a victim depends on
____________. (the victim’s injuries/the victim’s
desires/your reason for moving)
4. You should move a victim before assessment or care if the
scene ____________.
(is especially unpleasant/threatens life/is crowded)
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One-Rescuer Techniques
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Walking Assist
Blanket Drag
Shirt Drag
Sheet Drag
Firefighter’s Carry
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One-Rescuer Techniques
Walking Assist
1. Stand at the victim’s side and drape the victim’s arm across
your shoulders.
2. Support the victim by placing your arm around his or her
waist.
3. Using your body as a crutch, support the victim’s weight as
you both walk.
Blanket Drag
1. Spread a blanket alongside the victim; gather half the
blanket into lengthwise pleats.
2. Roll the victim away from you, then tuck the pleated part of
the blanket as far beneath the victim as you can.
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One-Rescuer Techniques
Shirt Drag
1. Fasten the victim’s hands or wrists loosely together, then link them to
the victim’s belt or pants to keep the arms from flopping or coming out
of the shirt.
2. Grasp the shoulders of the victim’s shirt under the head; use your
forearms to support both sides of the head.
3. Using the shirt as a handle, pull the victim toward you; the pulling power
should engage the victim’s armpits, not the neck.
Sheet Drag
1. Fold a sheet several times lengthwise to form a narrow, long “harness”;
lay the folded sheet centered across the victim’s chest at the nipple line.
2. Pull the ends of the sheet under the victim’s arms at the armpits and
behind the victim’s head; twist the ends of the sheet together to form
a triangular support for the head. Be careful not to pull the
victim’s hair.
3. Grasping the loose ends of the sheet, pull the victim toward
you.
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One-Rescuer Techniques
Firefighter’s Carry
1. Position the victim on his or her back with both knees bent
and raised; grasp the back sides of the victim’s wrists.
2. Stand on the toes of both the victim’s feet; lean backward
and pull the victim up toward you.
3. As the victim nears a standing position, crouch slightly and
pull the victim over your shoulder, then stand upright.
4. Pass your arm between the victim’s legs and grasp the
victim’s arm that is nearest your body.
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Vocabulary
Walking assist- A method of moving a victim in which a rescuer functions
as a crutch in assisting the injured victim to walk
Blanket drag- A method of moving a victim in which a rescuer places the
victim on a blanket and drags the victim to safety
Shirt drag- A method of moving a victim in which a single rescuer uses
the victim’s shirt as a handle to pull the victim
Sheet drag- A method of moving a victim in which a single rescuer forms
a drag harness out of a sheet by passing it under the victim’s arms at
the armpits, and uses it to pull the victim
Firefighter’s carry- A method of lifting and carrying a victim in which one
rescuer carries the victim over his or her shoulder
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PROGRESS CHECK
1. Use the walking assist to help a ____________ victim walk.
(slightly injured/conscious/spinal-injured)
2. You can roll a victim onto a ____________, then drag him
or her to safety. (chair/stretcher/blanket)
3. In the shirt drag, make sure the pulling power engages the
victim’s ____________. (neck /shoulders/armpits)
4. The sheet drag involves creating a “harness” that is twisted
under the victim’s arms and behind the ____________.
(head/neck /shoulders)
5. Unless you are in a life-and-death situation, you should not
use the firefighter’s carry to move a victim with suspected
____________.
(spinal injury/head injury/chest injury)
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Two- and Three-Rescuer
Techniques
Seat Carries (Two Rescuers)
1. Raise the victim to a sitting position; each First Aider
steadies the victim by positioning an arm around the victim’s
back.
2. Each First Aider slips his or her other arm under the victim’s
thighs, then clasps the wrist of the other First Aider
3. Slowly raise the victim from the ground, moving in unison
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Two- and Three-Rescuer
Techniques
Extremity Lift (Two Rescuers)
1. One First Aider kneels at the victim’s head; the other kneels
at the victim’s knees.
2. The First Aider at the victim’s head places one hand under
each of the victim’s shoulders; the second First Aider grasps
the victim’s wrists.
3. The First Aider at the victim’s knees pulls the victim to a
sitting position by pulling on the victim’s wrists
4. The First Aider at the victim’s head slips his or her hands
under the arms, and grasps the victim’s wrists
5. The First Aider at the victim’s knees slips his or her
hands beneath the victim’s knees.
6. Both First Aiders crouch on their feet and then
simultaneously stand in one 12
fluid motion
Other Two- and Three-Rescuer
Techniques
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Chair Litter Carry (Two Rescuers)
Flat Lift and Carry (Three Rescuers)
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PROGRESS CHECK
1. In seat carries, a “chair” can be formed by a pair of arms or
by __________. (two hands/four hands/a pair of shoulders)
2. Never use the extremity lift if the victim has __________.
(head injuries/back injuries/fractures)
3. If you have access to a sturdy chair and the victim does not
have contraindicating injuries, use the __________. (chair
lift/chair carry/chair litter carry)
4. If you have at least three rescuers, use the __________ to
move a severely injured victim. (flat lift and carry/extremity
lift/chair carry)
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Vocabulary
Seat carry- A method of lifting and moving a victim in
which two rescuers form a “seat” with their arms
Extremity lift- A method of lifting and carrying a victim
in which two rescuers carry the victim by the
extremities
Chair litter carry- A method of lifting and moving a
victim in which the victim is seated in a chair and two
rescuers carry the victim in the chair
Flat lift and carry- A method of lifting and moving a
victim in which three rescuers or more lift and
carry the victim to a stretcher
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29.4 Equipment
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Canvas Litter/Pole Stretcher
Backboards
Blanket Stretcher
Improvised Stretchers
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PROGRESS CHECK
1. You should maintain manual support of
the__________ until the victim is supine on a
backboard. (backboard/head/head and neck)
2. Use a blanket as a stretcher only if you do not
suspect a ____________.
(pneumothorax/hemothorax/fractured skull)
3. Before you place a victim on a stretcher, you
should test it with an uninjured person of the same
__________. (height/weight/gender)
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