Lifesaver

The lifesaver is a mechanic in Salmon Run in and Salmon Run Next Wave in, serving as a reference point to shoot ink and resuscitate fallen players.

Appearance
Lifesavers are translucent rings with white bands, normally attached to the players' backs, serving as their ink tanks during Salmon Run. When full, the translucent parts appear in the player's ink color. A small light on the rightmost ring of the lifesaver (when viewed from behind) indicates if the player has enough ink for a Splat Bomb in the same way that ink tanks have a light on the top. On the left of the ring is a radio antenna with a signal tip that glows upon giving a signal and an orange Grizzco Industries flag wrapped around it, which unfurls when the lifesaver floats after the wearer is splatted.

In Salmon Run Next Wave, the lifesavers get a redesign. There are now three segment lines, with the rightmost line (with the Splat Bomb indicator light) presumably located at 70% of the ink tank.

Description
When a player is splatted during Salmon Run, they reappear shortly as a controllable lifesaver with the antenna and Grizzco flag waving, and an Inkling or Octoling ghost jumping around inside it. They appear at the point where they were splatted, or, if splatted in midair, on a moving platform, or by falling in the water, on the last piece of solid ground the player stood on. If a lifesaver moves or falls into the water, it falls apart and reappears back on solid ground after another short time.

In this form, the player moves very slowly, cannot attack or swim in ink, and their jumping height is severely decreased. However, they are also invulnerable, can pass through all types of Salmonids and are unaffected by enemy ink. The player's "This Way!" signal is replaced with a "Help!" signal.

If the player had a Golden Egg when splatted, it stays with them in lifesaver form and cannot be lost (except by waiting until the wave ends). If an empty lifesaver approaches a Golden Egg, it is still picked up. However, it is impossible to deposit a Golden Egg while in lifesaver form.

A lifesaver can be revived by spraying ink on it, such as shooting at it with any main weapon or special weapon, or causing a Steelhead's bomb or Drizzler's projectile to explode in close vicinity to the lifesaver. The Wave Breaker, despite not spreading any ink, can also revive coworkers with its waves. The revived player gains approximately four seconds of mercy invincibility, during which the player flashes and is invulnerable. Some weaker main weapons may require more than one hit to revive the player. A Splat Bomb exploding next to a lifesaver revives it, and if one hits a lifesaver directly, it explodes immediately, similar to hitting the Rainmaker barrier or the canopy of an enemy brella.

If every player is splatted and becomes a Lifesaver, it is no longer possible for players to revive each other, and so the shift ends in a loss for the players. With good timing, it is possible for a stray Splat Bomb or a special that lingers after death such as the Triple Inkstrike, Booyah Bomb, or Killer Wail 5.1 to revive a teammate even after all players are splatted (the Wave Breaker technically lingers even if its user is splatted, but the shift will still end immediately in the case of a wipe even if a Wave Breaker is still active). At the end of every wave, every Lifesaver is automatically revived, and the shift will not end if all players die after a wave ends.

Tips

 * Reviving splatted coworkers should be a priority for remaining crew members. The fewer active crew members there are, the more likely they will be overwhelmed.
 * As a crew member with downed teammates:
 * It can be wise to move towards a high-up area, such as the tower on Sockeye Station, as this grants the player extra range and can be a way to avoid Salmonids.
 * The "This way!" signal can be used to call downed coworkers towards the player's location if their lifesavers are in a difficult-to-reach position.
 * In tight situations, it may be beneficial to use specials solely for the purpose of revival. If using a special that inks a large area, such as the Triple Inkstrike or Booyah Bomb, using the "This way!" signal may help to funnel them into a small area to easily revive multiple players at once. The Wave Breaker may also be particularly useful in these cases, although it requires some amount of foresight to use effectively; it will not serve as a last-second panic option since it does not prolong the wave in the case of a wipe.
 * Using Splat Bombs is a great way to revive a teammate if the path to them is being blocked by Salmonids, eg. by a Steel Eel or groups of Cohocks. If multiple downed teammates are near each other, a well-thrown bomb may revive all of them at once.
 * If a downed teammate is in a difficult position, such as in a large area of bosses, signaling them may prove more effective than taking a risk to try to revive them. Their position may well cause them to be splatted soon after revival, and taking too much of a risk may lead to a rescuer being splatted as well. Monitoring one's ink levels is also important in considering whether traveling to revive an ally is worthwhile.
 * Revival may become significantly easier or harder depending on a player's main weapon. Keeping in mind one's own mobility, range, and other such traits can be key to determining how and when to best approach revival.
 * As a downed teammate:
 * Keeping track of the location of active teammates, moving towards them, and signaling them even if they are relatively close are the best ways to assure a speedy revival. Normal impedences (Salmonid ink and physical collision) do not affect the movement of lifesavers, so more direct paths towards clear areas or areas where teammates may be waiting are possible.
 * If possible, it is important to stay clear of large groups of Salmonids when revived. Despite having brief invincibility on revival, it is still impossible to simply move straight through Salmonids and their ink as one can in a lifesaver, and this may result in quickly being splatted once again.
 * Moving in the direction of a thrown Splat Bomb can assist in placing oneself within range to be revived, even if the throw is not perfectly placed.
 * Moving towards the egg basket or a Big Shot cannon when carrying a golden egg can be advisable as long as there are active teammates nearby.

Trivia

 * The signal tip of the lifesaver's antenna resembles a chemical light stick commonly used in night salmon-fishing in Japan. The light stick is used in conjunction with bait (typically squid) to lure the salmon.
 * The small squid or octopus ghost that normally appears flying away when players are splatted and landing on a spawn point flails around in the lifesaver until the player is revived.
 * It is possible to use a ride rail while in a lifesaver in Ruins of Ark Polaris.