The Recovery Position: A Step-by-Step Guide That Could Save a Life

The Recovery Position: A Step-by-Step Guide That Could Save a Life

Seeing someone collapse or become unresponsive can be frightening. If the person is breathing normally, however, there is a simple first aid skill you can use while waiting for emergency medical help: the recovery position.

The recovery position places an unresponsive person on their side with their airway open and their face angled slightly downward. This can help fluids such as saliva or vomit drain from the mouth instead of blocking the airway.

It is a practical, real-world skill that parents, caregivers, teachers, employees, coaches, and community members can learn. The steps below are based on principles taught in American Red Cross and HSI first aid training programs.

Important: This guide is for an adult or child who is unresponsive but breathing normally and does not appear to have a serious injury. If the person is not breathing normally, is only gasping, or has life-threatening bleeding, call 911 and begin appropriate emergency care, including CPR when indicated.

What Is the Recovery Position?

The recovery position is a side-lying position used for someone who:

• Does not respond when you speak to or gently tap them
• Is breathing normally
• Does not have an obvious serious head, neck, back, or spinal injury

The position helps maintain an open airway and allows fluids to drain from the mouth. It also helps stabilize the person while you monitor their breathing and wait for emergency responders.

The recovery position is not a substitute for calling 911. An unresponsive person may have a serious medical problem even if they are breathing.

Step 1: Check the Scene and the Person

Before touching the person, quickly check whether the area is safe. Look for traffic, fire, electrical hazards, unstable structures, dangerous animals, or anything else that could put you at risk.

Then check responsiveness:

1. Speak loudly and clearly. Use the person's name if you know it.
2. If there is no response, gently tap their shoulder.
3. Call out again.
4. Check responsiveness for no more than about 10 seconds.

If the person does not respond, ask someone nearby to call 911 and get an AED if one is available. If you are alone, call 911 on speakerphone so the dispatcher can guide you while you provide care.

Next, check breathing. Look for normal chest movement and listen for normal breathing. Occasional gasping, irregular snorting, or weak breaths are not considered normal breathing. If the person is only gasping or is not breathing, place them on their back and begin CPR according to your level of training.

Step 2: Decide Whether It Is Safe to Move Them

Do not routinely move an unresponsive person if you suspect a head, neck, back, or spinal injury. Possible signs include:

• A fall from a height
• A vehicle collision
• A diving injury
• A hard blow to the head
• Severe pain in the neck or back
• An unusual body position
• Weakness, numbness, or loss of movement after an injury

If a serious injury is suspected, leave the person in the position found unless you must move them for safety, perform CPR, control life-threatening bleeding, or protect the airway from fluids.

If there is no obvious serious injury and the person is breathing normally, continue with the recovery position.

Step 3: Position the Nearest Arm

Kneel beside the person at about chest level. Make sure they are lying on their back on a firm, level surface.

Place the arm closest to you out from the body at approximately a right angle. Bend the elbow so the palm faces upward.

Some Red Cross and HSI course techniques may demonstrate slight variations in how the arms are positioned. The key goals are to support the head, prevent the person from rolling onto their stomach, and avoid placing pressure on the chest.

Step 4: Place the Far Hand Against the Cheek

Take the person's arm farthest from you and bring it across their chest.

Place the back of that hand against the cheek nearest to you. Keep the person's hand against their cheek as you continue. This helps support the head as you roll the person onto their side.

Step 5: Bend the Far Knee

With your other hand, grasp the knee of the leg farthest from you.

Pull the knee upward until the foot is flat on the floor. The bent leg will help you roll the person toward you and will stabilize their body once they are on their side.

Keep the person's hand against their cheek as you prepare to roll them.

Step 6: Roll the Person Toward You

Use the bent knee as a lever and gently pull it toward you. At the same time, guide the shoulder and hip so the person rolls toward you onto their side.

Try to move the head, shoulders, and torso together without twisting the body unnecessarily. Roll the person far enough that their face is angled slightly downward toward the floor.

You do not need to force the person into a perfect position. Focus on three priorities:

• The person is on their side.
• Their airway is open.
• Their face is angled downward so fluids can drain.

Step 7: Adjust the Head, Airway, and Legs

Once the person is on their side:

• Make sure the head is resting on the supporting arm or hand.
• Gently tilt the head back and lift the chin to help keep the airway open.
• Angle the face slightly downward.
• Position the upper leg so the hip and knee are bent, helping prevent the person from rolling onto their back.
• Keep the chest free from pressure so breathing is not restricted.
• Make sure the body is stable and the person is not in danger of rolling into an unsafe position.

The person can be placed on either side. Choose the side that is safest and easiest based on the surroundings. Red Cross materials often describe the left side as ideal when possible, but protecting the airway and avoiding injury are more important than forcing a particular side.

Step 8: Continue Monitoring Until Help Arrives

Stay with the person. Reassure them calmly even if they cannot respond. An unresponsive person may still hear what is happening.

Continue watching for changes in:

• Chest movement
• Breathing rate and quality
• Skin color
• Responsiveness
• Vomiting or other fluids in the mouth

If the person stops breathing normally or begins to gasp, carefully roll them onto their back and begin CPR. Use an AED if one is available and follow the device's instructions.

If emergency dispatchers are on the phone, follow their directions. They may ask you to reassess breathing, provide CPR, or make other adjustments while responders are on the way.

Common Recovery Position Mistakes to Avoid

The recovery position is straightforward, but these common mistakes can reduce its effectiveness:

Do not use it for someone who is not breathing normally. The recovery position is for an unresponsive person who is breathing normally. It is not the correct response to cardiac arrest. If someone is not breathing normally or is only gasping, begin CPR.

Do not leave the person unattended. A person's condition can change quickly. Continue monitoring until EMS arrives or another trained responder takes over.

Do not give food, water, or medication. An unresponsive person may choke or aspirate. Do not place anything in their mouth.

Do not move a potentially injured person unnecessarily. If trauma is possible, keep the person in the position found unless moving is necessary for safety, CPR, bleeding control, or airway protection.

Do not place pressure on the chest. The side-lying position should support the person without restricting chest movement.

What About Infants?

Infants require age-specific care. Do not automatically use the adult recovery position for a baby under one year old. Infant first aid and CPR training provides separate instructions for airway protection, breathing assessment, and positioning.

If an infant is unresponsive, call 911 immediately, follow dispatcher instructions, and use care appropriate to your training.

Build Confidence Through Hands-On Training

Reading about the recovery position is a helpful first step, but practicing it helps you remember what to do under pressure. In a hands-on class, you can rehearse the sequence, learn how to assess breathing, practice communicating with 911, and understand when CPR is required instead.

I provide professional First Aid and CPR/AED training for individuals and groups throughout San Diego County, Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, and Lake Elsinore. Training is available through flexible scheduling, mobile instruction at your location, and blended learning that combines online coursework with an in-person skills session.

Classes can support parents, caregivers, teachers, daycare staff, fitness professionals, office teams, healthcare workers, and community members. Available programs include First Aid and CPR/AED, Pediatric First Aid and CPR/AED, Basic Life Support, Stop Life-Threatening Bleeding, and certification renewals through Red Cross and HSI training programs.

To discuss mobile or group training, contact me here. For appointment-only scheduling, please email or call and include the specific dates you want for the class.

Final Takeaway

When a person is unresponsive but breathing normally, the recovery position can help protect their airway while emergency help is on the way:

1. Check scene safety.
2. Check responsiveness and breathing.
3. Call 911.
4. Position the arms.
5. Bend the far knee.
6. Roll the person toward you.
7. Open the airway and angle the face downward.
8. Continue monitoring until EMS arrives.

It is a simple skill, but learning it in advance can make a stressful emergency feel more manageable. With proper training and practice, almost anyone can build the confidence to take helpful action when it matters most.

Sources and further reading

• American Red Cross: Unresponsive and Breathing Person
• American Red Cross: CPR Steps
• HSI: CPR, AED, and First Aid Training
• HSI: Emergency Medical Response Program Information