A self-inflating water rescue device (1) consisting of a belt (2) for fastening to the waist and a lifebelt (5) connected to a compressed gas cartridge (4) attached to an opening trigger (3), the belt (2) and the lifebelt (5) being connected to each other by a safety strap (9), one end of a release cord (11) is connected to the opening trigger (3), the other end of the cord (11) being routed outside the lifesaving device (1), the lifebelt (5) being provided with a release valve (12) where applicable, and characterized by that a storage pocket (8) is formed on at least a part of the outer side of the belt (2) by a fixed wall (6) and an sliding (loose) wall (7), the lifebelt (5) being arranged in the storage pocket (case) (8), the outer part of the belt (2) being itself a fixed wall (6) of the pocket (8), the lifebelt (5) has a basically interrupted perimeter circle shape, the ends (13) of which at the interruption are overlapping when filled with gas, and when not filled with gas the lifebelt (5) is folded into the pocket (8) in an accordion/fan-like manner.