Meanings
plural Pia carries
- A technique for bringing a drowning non-swimmer to shore, by holding their head out of the water, encircling their waist or hips with one arm, and supporting their buttocks or thigh on one's hip, while propelling oneself by kicking.
Origin
Introduced by Francesco "Frank" Pia, American lifeguard.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Pia carry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pia%20carry
“Pia carry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pia%20carry. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Pia carry,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pia%20carry.
Source: Pia carry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.