When should a lifeguard provide rescue breaths to an unresponsive person who is not breathing normally?

When should a lifeguard give rescue breaths? A clear, simple rule—and why it matters in the pool, at the beach, or any place with water safety in mind—is this: you provide rescue breaths when the victim is unresponsive and not breathing normally. That condition tells you the person isn’t getting enough oxygen, and that timely breaths can bridge the gap until professional help arrives. It sounds straightforward, but in real life the scene is never perfectly tidy. Let’s unpack it so you’ll know exactly what to do when time is ticking.

What “breathing normally” actually means on the deck

Breathing normally means the person is awake, alert, and taking steady breaths without struggle. In a calm moment, you’d see breaths that are regular in rate and depth, and the chest rises and falls smoothly. In a drowning or near-drowning scenario, you’ll often see something different. The person may be unresponsive, or they may have irregular, shallow, or gasping breaths — what we call agonal breathing in some guidelines. For lifeguards, any sign that breathing is not present or is clearly abnormal should trigger a rescue breaths response. If you’re unsure whether breaths are normal, treat it as not normal and act promptly.

The pulse question: does a pulse change the plan?

You’ll hear competing ideas about “if there’s a pulse, you don’t need rescue breaths.” Here’s the practical takeaway: if the person has a strong pulse but isn’t breathing normally, you give rescue breaths to support ventilation and oxygen delivery. If there’s no pulse, you start CPR (compressions plus breaths) right away. In a drowning scenario, the absence of normal breathing is often the more urgent cue, even if some circulation appears to exist, so you focus on ventilation first if needed and then on chest compressions and AED use as indicated.

What to look for on arrival

When you arrive at a submerged or recently rescued person, you should quickly assess three things:

• Responsiveness: Is the person awake or unresponsive? Do they respond to you with movement or speech?

• Breathing: Are they breathing normally, abnormally, or not at all?

• Pulse: If you’re trained to check a pulse, is there a detectable pulse?

If the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, that’s your cue to act with rescue breaths. If they’re responsive and breathing normally, you can keep them safe, monitor them closely, and wait for advanced help. If there’s a pulse but no normal breathing, rescue breaths can still be lifesaving. If there’s no pulse, you move into CPR territory immediately. These distinctions aren’t mere trivia; they guide every breath you give and every chest compression you perform.

Two breaths to start, then onward with care

Let me explain the practical hook of the rule. When you determine the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, you begin with rescue breaths. The idea is simple: deliver air to the lungs to reoxygenate the blood and buy time for the heart and brain. Your first step is to open the airway safely — head tilt, chin lift — and give two breaths, watching for the chest to rise with each breath. If the chest doesn’t rise, reposition the head and try again. Sometimes you’ll meet a stubborn airway, or a mouth that's obstructed; that’s when you use a proper barrier device or adjust your hand placement to clear the airway.

After two breaths, you reassess. If there’s no response, or if you’re in a setting where you’re trained to combine chest compressions with breaths (as a professional response), you’ll proceed to the next phase. In many lifeguard scenarios, if there is no pulse, you shift to a compression-breath rhythm: 30 chest compressions followed by 2 breaths, and you continue until help arrives or the person regained signs of life. If there is a pulse but no effective breathing, you’ll continue with rescue breaths at a steady rate (roughly one breath every 5–6 seconds for adults, and adjusted rates for children as trained). The rhythm matters less than the consistency and the willingness to keep oxygen moving through the body.

A drowning reality: agonal breaths and the urgency of ventilation

Drowning victims are a special case. They often arrive with gasping, irregular breaths rather than a normal pattern. Those gasps can mislead you into thinking “breathing is happening,” but they’re not efficient enough to sustain life. Treat any gasping or labored breathing as inadequate breathing. Your instinct should be to provide rescue breaths whenever the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally. Don’t wait to see if the breathing improves on its own. Time matters, and the lungs need air now.

Equipment and technique that help rather than hinder

You don’t have to rely on chance when you’re out there protecting swimmers. Your toolkit matters. Use a CPR barrier mask or pocket mask if available to deliver breaths safely and effectively, especially in a crowded public setting. If you’re alone with the victim for a moment before help arrives, use your best technique to ensure each breath makes the chest rise. If you’re part of a team, swap roles as needed so compressions and breaths stay steady. An AED should be retrieved and prepared as soon as it’s practical; shock delivery, if indicated, can dramatically improve outcomes, but only after you’ve established a rhythm of breaths and compressions.

Stories from the towel rack: why this matters in the real world

Think about a busy pool day: the lifeguard chair is elevated, the noise is loud, and a panicked crowd forms a ring around someone who’s suddenly unresponsive in the shallow end. In that moment, you won’t measure breaths on a lab worksheet — you’ll listen for the quiet, critical signs that breathing isn’t normal. You’ll notice if the eyes don’t widen with every shallow inhale, or if the chest doesn’t rise with each attempted breath. You’ll act with confidence because you’ve drilled the sequence, not memorized it in theory.

Common myths, cleared up

Myth: If the person has a pulse, you don’t need to give breaths. Truth: A pulse doesn’t always mean breathing is adequate. In many drowning or cardiac arrest scenarios, breathing collapse happens before pulse changes, so rescue breaths can be the crucial bridge.

Myth: If the victim is awake and talking, you don’t have to worry about breathing. Truth: If they’re conscious and speaking but still appear to struggle for air, don’t assume they’re fine. Watch for fatigue, changes in color, or wavering speech; these can be signs breathing isn’t enough.

Myth: Chest compressions alone are always enough. Truth: In lay rescuers’ hands, breaths are essential to restore oxygen delivery. For trained lifeguards with a team, the standard is a coordinated rhythm of compressions and breaths, tailored to the situation.

Connecting norms to practice: what this means for lifeguards on duty

The lifeguard’s job isn’t only about catching hazards and enforcing rules. It’s about rapid assessment, calm communication, and life-sustaining actions when luck isn’t on your side. The rule that rescue breaths should be given when the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally anchors your decision-making in a real moment. It’s not just a protocol; it’s a lifeline you hand to someone who likely needs it more than anything right then.

What to train for beyond the breaths

• Scene awareness: quick, clear checks of responsiveness, breathing, and circulation.

• Airway management: safe head-tilt, chin-lift technique and responsive repositioning when breaths don’t rise the chest.

• Ventilation technique: delivering breaths that make the chest clearly rise, using a barrier device when possible.

• CPR rhythm: maintaining a steady cadence of compressions and breaths, switching roles to avoid fatigue.

• AED readiness: locating, applying, and interpreting a shock when indicated.

• Post-rescue care: keeping the patient warm, monitoring for changes in breathing or color, and coordinating with EMS.

In the end, the core message is simple but powerful: rescue breaths are for unresponsive victims who aren’t breathing normally. The moment you recognize that combination, you take decisive action. And yes, it can feel intense—fish-in-a-net intense—but that intensity is exactly what saves lives.

Here’s a quick, natural takeaway you can carry with you

• Spot the red flags: unresponsiveness and abnormal breathing.

• Act promptly: provide two breaths, then reassess.

• Move to more advanced steps if needed: compressions, CPR, AED, and professional care.

• Remember the drowning nuance: gasping doesn’t equal safe breathing; assume not breathing normally until proven otherwise.

• Use your gear: barrier devices, pocket masks, and an AED on hand.

If you’ve trained with a solid program, you’ll recognize the ebb and flow of a rescue: assess, act, and adapt. The pool doesn’t wait for perfect conditions, and neither should you. When someone’s life hangs on a few careful breaths, you want your response to feel less like luck and more like practiced certainty.

A final thought for the swim season ahead: confidence comes from doing, not dreaming. The moment you’re faced with a scene where a person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, you’ll know exactly what to do—and that knowledge can be the difference between a life saved and a life lost. So stay sharp, stay calm, and keep those breaths ready. You’re part of a team that stands between danger and safe water. That’s a responsibility worth owning.