In the presented situation, seeing the injured person with his head submerged in the water, should you leave him unmoved for fear of injuring his spine?

In the photo a motorcyclist in a helmet is lying after an accident with his face in a puddle, and his scooter is lying a few metres away at the right edge of the roadway. You must not leave the casualty with his face in the water - he will drown within a few minutes, and this danger is certain and immediate, while a spinal injury is only a possibility. The answer is: no.

In first aid the order is: first deal with what kills fastest. A blocked airway kills in a few minutes, so the casualty must be turned over, if possible by several people at once, keeping the head in line with the body. Then you check breathing, call 112 for help, and if he is breathing, you leave him in a position in which the airway stays open. You do not take off the helmet unless you have to perform CPR.

Legal basis: Art. 4 of the State Emergency Medical Services Act; Art. 162 of the Criminal Code