B-6. Positioning the Casualty

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The first step in any manual carry is to position the casualty to be lifted. If he is conscious, he should be told how he is to be positioned and transported. This helps lessen his fear of movement and to gain his cooperation. It may be necessary to roll the casualty onto his abdomen, or his back, depending upon the position in which he is lying and the particular carry to be used.

• a. To roll a casualty onto his abdomen, kneel at the casualty’s uninjured side.
• • (1) Place his arms above his head; cross his ankle which is farther from you over the one that is closer to you.
  • (2) Place your hands on the shoulder which is farther from you; place your other hand in the area of his hip or thigh (Figure B-1).
  • (3) Roll him gently toward you onto his abdomen (Figure B-2).
• b. To roll a casualty onto his back, follow the same procedure described in a above, except gently roll the casualty onto his back, rather than onto his abdomen.

Figure B-1. Positioning the casualty.

Figure B-2. Rolling casualty onto his abdomen.