If a panicked victim grasps the rescuer — typically a head-hold or wrist grab — the rescuer's priority is to protect their own airway and regain separation, because a rescuer who is climbed becomes a second victim. The standard escape is to tuck the chin, take a breath, and submerge: a panicking person will release rather than follow underwater, since their instinct is to stay at the surface. From underwater, the rescuer pushes away from the victim, resurfaces out of reach, repositions the rescue tube, and re-approaches from the rear. Escapes are a defensive skill of last resort; correct tube presentation and approach angles exist precisely to make them rarely necessary.
When a panicked person in the water grabs a rescuer, the rescuer's priority is protecting their own airway and regaining separation. This lesson covers the defensive escape skills for wrist grabs and…