Patriot - my point was exactly that - the article talks only about the pilot's experience and doesn't mention the winch-op at all. Deck winching can go from benign to scary in a heartbeat - perhaps winching the winchman down first and then sending the paramedic would be a better procedure - it is easier for one person on the wire to control their position and fend off obstacles than it is 2 and you only hurt one person at a time if it goes wrong.
A hi-line sounds like it would have been a good idea if the winching area was so tight that a mast got in the way!
If it was a merchant vessel I'm guessing it was a reasonable size - anyone know what the sea state was at the time?