If the crew life vest inflation fails, what should you do?

• A. Blow into red manual inflation tubes
• B. Pull the red tabs again
• C. Push the purge valves
• D. Return vest to pouch

Answer: (A)

If the automatic inflation system on a crew life vest doesn’t work, you still have a reliable way to gain buoyancy: manually inflate by blowing into the red manual inflation tubes on the vest. This simple mouth-to-tube method fills the vest without relying on the CO2 cartridge, so you can stay afloat while you handle the situation. Pulling the red activation tabs would try to trigger the CO2 cartridge again, which may not fix a malfunction and isn’t the manual inflation method. The purge valve is used to deflate, not inflate, and returning the vest to its pouch would remove your flotation aid when you need it most.