Which lift/carry do you use when going down stairs?

• A. Chair carry
• B. Shoulder drag
• C. Incline drag
• D. Fireman\'s carry

Answer: (C)

When moving a casualty down stairs, the goal is a controlled, stable descent with the weight as close to your body as possible. The incline drag accomplishes this best because it keeps the patient aligned with the slope and lets you transfer weight gradually through your legs, not your arms or shoulders. That keeps your center of gravity low and makes step-by-step control easier, which reduces the risk of losing balance or dropping the patient.

Other methods on stairs tend to put more load on the rescuer’s shoulders or require lifting or maneuvering bulky equipment, which is harder to manage in confined stairways and increases risk to both person and rescuer. The incline drag avoids that by keeping the weight more evenly distributed and under tighter control as you descend. Always adapt to the situation and maintain spinal precautions if needed, but incline drag is the safer, more controllable option for going down stairs.