Mickjoebill
I can see your point. The carabina is right infront of the camera man and in the brief you tell him that is the first thing he would reach for in an emergency (he still has the aircraft seat belt on in the air).
With regards to having the camera straped to the man the advantage is that he has control over it at all times and it is one less thing that could tangle him into the aircraft.
Ops manual forbids flight over water without floats so that one is cleared up!
DP