I'd heard that after the S92 accident off Nova Scotia the first attempt to rescue the survivor failed because he was unable to get into the basket. Isn't that a reason to go for winchmen rather than baskets?
BTW wasn't an HH-65 lost in the Pacific after its basket caught on the railings of a ship and the cable snapped up unto the rotors? That would be unlikley with a winchman?
Those were my thoughts, but I've no qualifications to comment whatsoever, hence the question. I'm sure there must be good reasons for deploying a basket and releasing a winchman / swimmer un-tethered from the machine over water.