If you are rescuing two patients with one tube, what should you do?

When faced with rescuing two patients with only one rescue tube available, the most effective approach is to signal for help and swim towards the shore. While asking both patients to hold on tightly and wait may seem like a safe option, this can actually create additional risks for both the patients and the rescuer. Holding onto a single tube could lead to instability and possible capsizing if one of the patients panics or struggles.

By signaling for help, you are ensuring that additional resources are on their way to assist, which is critical when handling multiple patients. Swimming towards the shore with one patient on the tube while maintaining visual contact with the other is a more direct and actionable plan. This keeps both patients safe and allows for a more efficient rescue operation, ultimately minimizing the risk involved in a potentially precarious situation. Effective lifeguards prioritize the safety of all individuals involved and seek to maximize available resources, which in this case includes prompting for additional assistance.