2 Man Pick Up

At the Wessex Region wet training day a variation of the 2 man lift was demonstrated and found to be very effective in moving heavy casualties with as little effort as possible and without putting excessive strain on the rescuers back. This pickup is detailed below:-

Rescuer returns to shore with a casualty.

The rescuer dismounts and asks for assistance.

The second rescuer arrives and places their arm under the casualties left arm, across their lower chest/tummy with the hand on the patients right waist.

The first rescuer mirrors the second rescue's position. Both rescuer's shoulders should be in the patient arm-pit so as to provide a solid platform. One of the rescuer's should support the casualty's head. When walking up the beach the 2 rescuers should walk slightly towards each other to prevent the casualty falling between them.

If a third person is available they can lift the legs off the beach which will allow more rapid transportation.

Note the arm position.