Question

you are attempting to rescue a person who has experienced drowning. what do you do if there are no signs of breathing?
perform abdominal thrusts to remove any water
open the airway and administer rescue breaths
use spinal stabilization regardless of neck injury
attempt to clear the airway of aspirated water

Explanation:

When rescuing a person who has drowned and shows no signs of breathing, the priority is to ensure the airway is open and provide rescue breaths. Abdominal thrusts are for choking (not drowning - water is not typically an obstructive foreign body in the same way as food in choking). Spinal stabilization is important if there's a suspected neck injury (but the question doesn't mention this as a given - and it's not the first step for non - breathing). Attempting to clear the airway of aspirated water (like by tilting the body to drain) is not a recommended practice as it delays starting rescue breaths. Opening the airway (using head - tilt/chin - lift or jaw - thrust if neck injury suspected) and giving rescue breaths (as part of CPR if needed) is the correct immediate action.

Answer:

Open the airway and administer rescue breaths