Here's how we do swiftwater rescue.....The harness is rear attached so you're face forward. You have the 'quick capture' straps in your hands. The copter will fly upstream while the crewchief inserts the rescuer to the water---just until your feet touch. This has a ruddering effect that points the rescuer upstream, then the copter will crab left or right until the rescuer is lined up with the victim....
When the victim flows to the rescuer, lots happens at once. The crewchief plays out enough cable that the rescuer is completely in the water. The pilot 'turns base' and flies sideways, keeping pace with the water. That way the rescuer isn't fighting the current at all. After the quick capture strap is around the victim and you have a good 'bear hug', you make SURE the cable isn't wrapped around any body part you're fond of and you wag your head as a signal to lift. You get popped out of the water and flown to a safer spot.
We always train for this in winter. You go from really cold water to really really cold fast moving air. Brrrrr.....
3 comments:
Gol, they should send you to Hawaii or Australia or something to do this.
Nice pictures.
Lee once said to me if he'd been on the Titanic and had been thinking clearly, he would have gone to the galley and smeared his body with lard. That would have been a good insulator for the freezing water outside.
Maybe you could smear your body with lard. AM could help...
Hmmm...The cons are, it's hard enough to hold wet people as it is without slippery body lube. Also, are sharks attracted to lard? The pros are, warmth and bouyancy. Maybe I can start working on a thick lard layer BELOW the skin. (Gotta keep my flightweight below 200 tho)
I like the Hawaii/Australia idea better
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