What is the......."SAFEST" way to check if a human is "ALIVE"...???

[Sourdough]

So if your concerned about your personal safety, but are will to check if a non-responsive body is alive. What is the safest method......??? I'll accept more then one answer.

So.......to be clear, you just discover a human that is not moving and not responding to shouts or commands.

I am looking for the "SAFEST" way. You did "NOT" see what happened to them, you just discovered them, they might be drunk or on drugs, or need medical help. But you want to be careful.

This is not a quiz.......I have zero idea what to do safely. ZERO. (It could be a trap, there could be danger).

 

[Caribou]

If I wanted to know if someone was alive I'd check for a pulse. If I feared a trap, then I wouldn't have a compelling need to answer that question. I have no legal requirement to provide assistance to anyone unless I injured them.

I scooped up enough drunks when I was working the ambulance that I just did my job. I was always aware of my surroundings and I always had a partner.

 

[winds-of-change]

Poke them with a stick.

 

[Grizzleyette___Adams]

It is a fact that even hospitals make the mistake of assuming that a living person is dead. Too many stories of people "waking up" after being declared clinically dead.

In a PAW event, I would know for absolute certain that someone is dead by noting rigor mortis and the earliest stages of decomposition. And, of course, if buzzards and wild animals are beginning to come around is another safe bet. Those buzzards are not attracted to lack of movement; sometimes they can smell death before we can, even from the air far above.

 

[Cascadian]

Firstly I would observe from some distance. Whatever is practical. If you have binoculars and see it a ways away great. If not a few yards away. Almost as important to would be to observe who or what is also watching. The person on the ground could be a decoy. Or the reason they are down is staring at you from cover.

 

[Bluetick21]

Poke them with a stick.

You beat me to it haha

 

[Rebecca]

I suppose it depends on if we talking about finding someone now or in and SHTF situation. If its now and you want to help, best advice is to have a second person with you incase the victim becomes violent or reacts badly. You want to find a pulse or provoke a response which you could do by rubbing your knuckles on their sternum. Rather unfortunately you are going to have to get close and personal.

If it's SHTF I would need a really really good reason to go anywhere near them. Especially if I suspected a trap, which would be a standard suspicion at that point.

 

[Morgan101]

If I remember CPR class correctly isn't the first reaction/attempt auditory? " Hey, are you O.K.?" If there is no response then you will feel for a pulse, or maybe poke with a stick if security is an issue.

My gut tells me that if I saw somebody like that my immediate response would be to render assistance, and not think it was a trap. I probably need somebody to watch my six while this fool rushes in.

Rebecca's post was just seconds before mine, and she stated it much better than I did.

 

[Camalot]

I read the obituaries. if I don't see them I assume they may still be alive. YMMV.

 

[havasu]

Poke 'em with a long barreled shotgun?

 

[Haertig]

Checking for responsiveness and checking for death are two different things.

When checking for responsiveness, never get "over" the person. Come in from the side, as far back and low as feasible, and control their arm on the side that you are on. I have had plenty of people take a swing at me as they roused from unconsciousness when I injected Narcan or D50W. It's not their fault - they will be confused and possibly think they are under attack.

Checking for death - first you have to check for responsiveness. So follow the above. The absence of pulse and breathing is a sign of death. But in some circumstances you may be fooled when doing those checks. But if you think you have established a no breathing/no pulse condition, you can look elsewhere. Check their pupils. Are they dilated and unchanging? Rigor is not an early sign of death. It takes several hours to come on. If you see it, yeah, they're dead. But don't expect to see it. You can look for dependent lividity. This is where blood pools in the lowest portions of the body. It will show up as dark coloration. If they're on their back, check their heels, their butt, their upper back, etc.

Visible rot is a bad sign. Visible rot while lurching towards you is a really bad sign.

On a related note, checking for feigned unconsciousness is a hoot. These people are almost always on their back. Lift their hand and position it about six inches directly over their face. Then drop it. If it miraculously defies gravity and heads off at an angle, missing their face - they are not unconscious.

 

[backlash]

Old joke.
Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other man pulls out his phone and calls emergency services.
He gasps to the operator: “My friend is dead! What can I do?” The operator in a calm, soothing voice replies: “Take it easy. I can help. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.”
There is a silence, then a shot is heard.
Back on the phone, the hunter says, “OK, now what?”

Back to reality.
In today's world, I would call 911 then follow their instructions. If that wasn't an option I would feel for a pulse in the neck. If the situation seemed off for any reason I would stay away until I had help.
A big part of the decision would be the suspected dead person. Man, woman, kid, is the area bloody things like that.
I came upon a car wreck that was bad, the tires were still spinning. I was the first one there. I did look in the window to see if the driver was alive. It was very evident he was dead. A power pole had crushed his head. I got away from the car and waited for the police and fire departments.
In TEOTWAWKI situation I would stay away from any dead body. They got dead for some reason and I wouldn't want to be the next dead guy.

 

[dademoss]

Right now, in my area, it's call 911 and let an emergency responder handle it. If it's after SHTF, it they aint kin or friends, I am not gonna check, too many ways for that to go south in a heartbeat.

 

[Sourdough]

The problem is that.
a.) No cell phone service here.
b.) Don't have a cell phone.
c.) Quickest 9-11 response would be one to two hours, and that is "if" the roads were open. Or AST chopper could be deployed.

I was wondering how safest to approach. As in "never" near the feet or legs (risk of being violently kicked). Or......maybe generally to approach towards the top of the head. That type of quandary.

Or but foot lightly on neck and check pulse at wrist. Looking for the safest way, when there is no one else around to help. Also this is "pre" SHTF.

 

[snappy1]

Right now, in my area, it's call 911 and let an emergency responder handle it. If it's after SHTF, it they aint kin or friends, I am not gonna check, too many ways for that to go south in a heartbeat.

I wholeheartedly agree!

 

[Cabin Fever]

Not sure if simply poking with a stick would work. I would touch his eyeball with a stick.

One can also hold a mirror below the person's nostrils to tell if he is breathing. If there is condensation of the mirror, the person is breathing.

 

[Supervisor42]

Poke 'em with a long barreled shotgun?

Wow. Where are all the compassionate 'touchy-feely' people?
Check for a pulse in the neck, ear over their face to hear if they are breathing; if not, start CPR.

Trust me, if I go to inflate someone with my cigarette-breath, they will get up if they ain't dead!

 

[joel]

If I was not in fear for my life/well being.
1) I would call out to them from a safe distance (15 ft)
2) I would approach slowly looking for snares or traps.
3) Nudge them with a walking stick or rifle butt.
4)Check their pulse with two gloved fingers for heart beat.
5) Ideally have one or two people look out for other people.
I see this as a lost person on a mountain trail, not a homeless person in NYC.

 

[Spikedriver]

My employer's emergency responder course taught to observe, then speak, (Hey, are you ok?) Then if no response, approach while looking at the person for signs of injury. Speak again, and poke or jab the person on the collarbone. (It is almost impossible for a conscious person not to have a physical reaction to being poked on the collarbone). I would imagine that the surroundings and the environment of the area would dictate if I thought it was even safe to approach in the first place...

 

[LadyLocust]

I read this question the other day and couldn't really answer. After some thought, I will say, if the situation and the area are "sketchy" like a scam by all means use extreme caution. But if it seems reasonable like the person might have fallen, heart attack, or whatever, I would follow CPR/first aid suggestions "Are you okay?" with a nudge. I guess I would rather go down offering assistance than neglect someone who I might have helped or saved. Again, not promoting naivety, but I will trust God in guiding me as to when someone needs help. That's the best answer I could come up with.

 

[winds-of-change]

Poke them with a stick.

Actually, it was a joke. I would go see if I can help.

 

[joel]

No one said smelling spice like EMT use

 

[Terri9630]

When I'm out around here my dog is always with me so she would just jump on them. If they don't move when a growling 50lb monster pounces on their gut it's a pretty safe bet they are gone.

 

[Aerindel]

No one said smelling spice like EMT use

We haven't used those for decades.

We use EKGs to confirm death.

The safest thing if you see what you think is a dead body is to back way off. You don't know what killed him. There are stories of half a dozen people dying one after another jumping down into a hole filled with gas to rescue the guy before them. Or finding a guy laying down next to a road, touching him and finding out he was dead from stepping on a downed power line in the grass.

Seriously, anything else but getting out of there has a risk.

Now, if your willing to take a risk:

For determining responsiveness on a patient who appears unconscious and will not respond to a question we use something called a sternum rub. You rub your knuckles HARD over the subjects breastbone, like playing spoons on a washboard.

Never get above them, never get near their mouth.

Once you declare enough people in the field you get pretty good at just knowing "the look" of death vs unconscious from a distance, its remarkably distinctive once you learn it.

 

[joel]

Aerindel
Well, I guess it time I climb out from under this rock & have a look around.

 

[Jay]

poke them with a stick was my first and only option. There was a time when anyone wanted to wake me up that they new better then get close enough to get punched which was my first reaction.

 

[joel]

poke them with a stick was my first and only option. There was a time when anyone wanted to wake me up that they new better then get close enough to get punched which was my first reaction.

I was dreaming I was in the sea drowning & reaching up towards the light as I sunk.
I woke up to my wife telling me I elbowed her in the face! I ask why was she hovering over me? She said A female friend said if your husband snores just pinch his nose & he will turn over & stop snoring. I was on my side facing away from her, so her leaned over to pinch my nose.
It has never happen again, not even once & I get to explain to friends why I elbowed my wife in the face at parties!