The safest way to carry another person depends on whether they’re conscious, how far you need to move them, and whether you have help. Every technique starts with the same foundation: lift with your legs, keep your back straight, and hold the person’s weight as close to your body as possible. Choosing the wrong method risks injuring both of you, so matching the carry to the situation matters.
Protect Your Back Before Anything Else
The single most important rule when lifting another person is to bend at your knees, not at your waist or back. Squat down, keep your spine straight, and drive upward using the large muscles in your hips and thighs. This applies whether you’re picking someone up off the ground, lowering them onto a surface, or shifting them in a chair. The moment you round your lower back under load, you dramatically increase the risk of a disc or muscle injury.
Before you attempt any carry, plant your feet about shoulder-width apart for a stable base. Pull the person as close to your torso as you can before standing. The farther their weight sits from your center of gravity, the harder your spine has to work to compensate.
The Fireman’s Carry (One Rescuer, Long Distance)
The fireman’s carry is the classic technique for moving someone over a longer distance by yourself. The person rides draped over one of your shoulders, which centers their weight over your hips and frees one of your hands. Your arm on the carrying side wraps across the back of their legs and grips their opposite arm, locking them in place.
Getting someone into this position from the ground is the hard part. It requires significant strength or an assistant to help hoist the person up. If the person is conscious and can cooperate, have them stand facing you, then duck under one of their arms and guide them across your shoulders. If they’re on the ground, you’ll need to pull them to a seated position first, squat in front of them, and work their torso across your shoulders before standing.
This carry works best when you’re reasonably strong relative to the person you’re moving. It is not appropriate for anyone with a suspected spinal injury, since it bends and rotates the torso.
The Piggyback Carry (Conscious Person)
If the person is awake, alert, and can hold on with their arms, a piggyback carry is often the simplest option. Have them wrap their arms around your neck (not tight enough to choke you) while you support their thighs from underneath. Squat down so they can climb on from a low position rather than jumping up, which could throw you off balance.
A piggyback works well for lighter individuals or children and doesn’t require the brute strength of a fireman’s carry. The downside is that it relies on the carried person maintaining their own grip. If they’re weak, dizzy, or fading in and out of consciousness, this isn’t the right choice.
The Cradle Carry (Lighter Individuals)
You’ve seen this one at weddings. One arm goes under the person’s knees, the other supports their upper back, and you lift them against your chest. It’s intuitive and gentle, making it a good option for children or adults who weigh significantly less than you.
The limitation is mechanical. Because the person’s weight hangs in front of you rather than sitting on your shoulders or hips, your arms and lower back absorb most of the load. Fatigue sets in quickly, so this carry is best for short distances: from one room to another, from a bed to a wheelchair, or across a small stretch of ground.
Two-Person Carries
Having a second rescuer makes things dramatically easier and safer. The most common two-person method is the seat carry. Both rescuers face each other, each gripping the other’s wrists to form a square “seat” behind the person. The person sits on the interlocked arms and wraps their own arms around the rescuers’ shoulders for stability.
If the person can’t hold on, a variation called the four-hand seat uses all four of the rescuers’ hands locked together, creating a wider platform. Each rescuer grabs their own left wrist with their right hand, then grabs the other person’s right wrist with their free left hand. This forms a sturdy, flat seat that doesn’t rely on the carried person for any support.
For someone who needs to stay lying flat, two rescuers can perform a simple body lift. One person supports the shoulders and upper back while the other supports the hips and legs. Both lift simultaneously on a count of three, keeping the person level. Communication between the two lifters is critical here, because uneven lifting can twist the person’s spine or cause one rescuer to take on a dangerous share of the weight.
Dragging When You Can’t Lift
Sometimes you physically cannot lift someone, whether due to their size, your own limitations, or the confined space you’re in. Dragging is a legitimate backup.
The shoulder drag is the most basic version. Stand behind the person’s head, reach under their armpits, and grasp their forearms across their chest. Walk backward, pulling them along the ground. This keeps their head and neck somewhat supported between your arms.
A blanket drag reduces friction and is easier on both of you. Roll the person onto a blanket, tarp, or even a large coat. Gather the material behind their head and pull from there. The fabric slides across the floor or ground, letting you move someone much heavier than you could ever lift. This is especially useful on smooth indoor surfaces.
With any drag technique, keep the person’s head higher than their feet and try to pull in a straight line to avoid twisting their body.
Moving Someone on Stairs
Stairs add a layer of difficulty because you’re fighting gravity on an incline while maintaining balance. The key principle: if you’re going down, the person’s feet should face downhill, and the strongest helper should be at the lower end, bearing most of the weight. Going up, the same applies in reverse.
If you’re assisting someone who can partially walk, stand behind them on the side where they’re holding a railing or cane. Use one hand to grip a belt or waistband with an underhand grip and the other hand to support their arm or torso. Let them set the pace, one step at a time.
For someone in a wheelchair, tilt the chair backward slightly so the front wheels lift off the ground. The chair’s back should always face the stairs, with the caregiver standing behind and controlling the descent or ascent from the handle. This is much safer with two people, one at each end.
When You Should Not Move Someone
There are situations where moving a person can cause permanent harm. If someone has fallen from a height, been in a car crash, or taken any high-force impact, assume a possible spinal injury until proven otherwise. Signs include neck or back pain, numbness or tingling in the limbs, inability to move their fingers or toes, or an obvious deformity along the spine.
Older adults deserve extra caution. People 65 and older can sustain spinal injuries from something as minor as a ground-level fall, and they may not show the typical warning signs like midline neck pain. If there’s any doubt, keep them still and call for professional help.
The only exception is immediate danger. If the person is in a burning building, near an explosion risk, or in rising water, moving them with an imperfect technique is better than leaving them in place. Use a drag to keep the spine as straight as possible and move them the minimum distance needed to reach safety.
Building an Improvised Stretcher
If you’re outdoors and far from help, you can build a functional stretcher from clothing and two sturdy poles. Find two branches, pipes, or similar rigid objects at least six feet long. Lay them parallel on the ground, roughly shoulder-width apart. Then slide three or four T-shirts or jackets onto the poles, pulling each garment taut so the fabric stretches between the poles and forms a flat surface. Overlap the clothing slightly so there are no gaps along the length.
Two people carry the stretcher, one at each end. Before loading the person on, test the fabric by pressing down in the center to make sure it holds. This setup won’t support someone for miles, but it can get an injured person from a trail to a road or campsite where further help is available.