Glossary
Rescue breaths
Breaths given to a person who is not breathing, as part of CPR. They are especially important after a drowning.
Rescue breaths are breaths a trained rescuer gives to a person who is not breathing, usually as part of CPR. For most sudden cardiac arrests, chest compressions are the priority. Drowning is different, because the emergency starts when water stops breathing.
The 2024 American Heart Association and AAP drowning guidelines (opens in a new tab) say resuscitation after drowning must focus on restoring breathing as much as circulation. They add that rescue breathing in the water should be done only by rescuers trained in it, and that chest compressions begin once the person and rescuer are on land or in a boat. The American Red Cross (opens in a new tab) lists rescue breathing and CPR as the next link in its chain of drowning survival, after getting the person out of the water safely.
You learn rescue breaths in a full CPR class, with practice on a manikin. Water Safety USA (opens in a new tab) recommends choosing a class that teaches both compressions and breaths. See where to learn CPR and hands-only CPR.
What you can do today: when you book a CPR class, check that it covers rescue breaths for adults, children and infants.