Lifeguarding Written Exam Practice Test - Study Guide & Practice Questions

Initiating CPR is critical in emergency situations where a person's heart has stopped beating effectively, which is often indicated by unresponsiveness combined with abnormal or absent breathing. In this case, when the victim is unresponsive and not breathing normally, it is a clear sign that the individual may be in cardiac arrest or experiencing a life-threatening situation.

The key factors here are unresponsiveness and the absence of normal breathing, which necessitate immediate action to maintain blood flow to vital organs until further emergency assistance can arrive. Other scenarios mentioned, such as excessive coughing, feeling faint, or having a mild injury while still conscious, do not warrant CPR because they indicate that the victim is either still breathing or responsive, which means they are not in immediate life-threatening danger requiring chest compressions and rescue breaths.