I did my sea survival course in May 1966. Unfortunately, a Master Pilot suffered a heart attack and died in the water on the second day of practical training.
The preparations and speed of response from the staff at Mount B was hopeless and they seemed not to be ready for anything to go wrong. None of my course was called to give evidence to the enquiry and I pushed off to Borneo ten days later and so never heard the results.
In 1972 it might have been a Wessex but in 1966 it was a Chivenor based Whirlwind flown by a mate, who thought it was very funny to discharge the static through me and not the water!! It rather depends on when in 72 you did the course as both types were around at various locations.
I do know of one numpty who tried to record his time in the back of the aircraft, after being hauled out the oggin, as '2nd pilot' but was given a sharp clip around the ear!
I do recall that as supposedly rotary (I was a blanket stacker in real life but about the last ground crew guy to do the crewmens' course before it went to surplus air sigs) I was given the small backpack with my one man dinghy in it. When we went in, the others had a dinghy pack thrown after them but I had mine cuddled in my arms almost before I hit the water. We also didn't wear anything apart from overalls, swim trunks and plimsolls - I think the enquiry ensured that changed.
A couple of year's ago I launched a private campaign to get the Master Pilot's name inscribed on the Armed Forces Memorial at Alrewas. His name was not there because his cause of death was recorded as 'heart attack', which whilst true failed to acknowledge where and why. After a bit of a tussle I was successful and it was added last year, although I have never been able to trace his family who might be completely unaware.
Old Duffer