First aid airway management. Animation showing a first-aider opening an unconscious person's airway. A hand on the forehead and two fingers under the chin are used to tilt the head backwards. This lifts the tongue (red) away from the back of the throat, preventing it from blocking the trachea (windpipe), allowing normal respiration. HD supplied with alpha, or for a flat version on a black background, see clip K003 3709.