All very good points made here and I am pleased such topic has been raised in this forum.
I think what has to be remembered in all this is the history and training. As has already been mentioned their is a long history attached to the USCG Rescue Swimmer Program and indeed the UK SAR Winchman programs.
Back in the day the USCG operated SAR aircraft with no Rescue Swimmer and simply deployed the Rescue Basket to survivors to make a ‘self rescue’ and if unable routinely deployed the untrained co-pilot to effect a rescue. After sometime the Rescue Swimmer program was developed and deployed across all Coast Guard Air Stations. Using the equipment already in use, namely the rescue basket. The rescue basket also keeps patients in a ‘fetal’, Hypo position to reduce pooling of the blood and a drop in arterial blood pressure.
USCG Rescue swimmers are highly trained elite athletes, with the strength and training to be able to free swim and support patients in heavy seas as required, and I believe this is where the difference lies. As long as they are appropriately trained and well equipped to undertake these types of operations and they are successful, the entire evolution is successful.
Again it should be noted USCG operations also include direct deploy - remaining attached to the aircrafts hoist cable, ‘trail line’ operations also refereed to as HI-line operations as well as ‘free fall’ despatch from the helicopter. So in effect they have one more card to play compared to some other agencies.
In effect where ever in the world you are - operations are inherently indifferent apart from the fact some SAR services do not employ free fall and free swimming techniques. Each and every service will have differing opinions and thoughts on a myriad of issues but at the end of the day all operations are strikingly similar with efficiency and effectiveness, with the same result - saving those in need.
