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| Coast Guard's Rescue Swimmers Mark 25 Years of Lifesavingexercise |
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 | | photo by Peter Marsh | | Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers gather on the Clatsop Spit beach prior to surf swimming exercise |
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By Peter Marsh
The recent sinking of the Alaskan Ranger, a 189' factory trawler, in the Bering Sea and the rescue of 42 of the crew of 47 is the latest example of the ability and dedication of the U.S. Coast Guard. When accidents happen far from land in remote waters like this, the helicopter crews are usually first on the scene, and make the first response. These crews consist of pilot, co-pilot, flight mechanic and the two rescue swimmers whose job it is to enter the water and aid mariners in distress.
Today, we take it for granted that the Coast Guard's has highly-trained rescue swimmers at every station always ready to go into action to save lives. But this rescue swimmer program was actually only established in 1984, and is celebrating its 25th anniversary over the coming year. It was the disastrous sinking of the S.S. Marine Electric, a 587-foot cargo ship, on Feb. 10, 1983 that caused the Congress to authorize "a program for the purpose of training selected Coast Guard personnel in rescue swimming skills" in 1984.
The Marine Electric foundered in gale force winds and 40-foot waves approximately 30-miles offshore while carrying coal from Norfolk, Va. to Brayton Point, Mass. The order to abandon ship was given just after 4 a.m., but as the crew were preparing the lifeboats, the vessel was struck by a large wave and capsized, throwing the crew into the frigid 37- degree water. At the time, Coast Guard helicopter crews' only method of rescue was to lower a basket to the vicinity of the person in the water. This method of recovery relied entirely on the victim mustering the strength to get into the basket on his or her own.
When a Coast Guard helicopter crew from Elizabeth City, N.C., arrived on-scene shortly after 5 a.m., the water was flush with strobe lights, yet little sign of life existed. Because the 34 men in the water were all suffering from cold-water shock and hypothermia. None of them were able to respond when the rescue cage was deployed close to them.
The US Navy at the nearby Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Va., was asked to assist and dispatched a helicopter with a team of navy rescue swimmers who were trained to pick up downed aircraft crews. They arrived at 6:00 a.m. and one-by-one recovered the bodies of the Marine Electric crew from the water; and transferred them to an 82-foot Coast Guard cutter. Only three men survived.
This tragedy was a blow to the Coast Guard's reputation and several high-level inquiries followed, debating what actions could avert a similar scenario. After several congressional hearings, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1984 was passed to ensure the Coast Guard was properly equipped to respond to such cases.
The rescue swimmer designation was assigned to the existing rating of Aviation Survival Technician (AST) whose job was to be responsible for checking and maintaining all the aircraft safety equipment.. The Coast Guard joined forces with the Navy, which permitted prospective Coast Guard rescue swimmers to train with Navy swimmers at the U. S. Navy Rescue Swimmer School at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.
Needless to say, this was the cause of some inter-service rivalry, as described in the book "So Others May Live" by Martha J. LaGuardia-Kotite, a retired CG officer who served on the cutter Resolute based in Astoria and at the 13th district HQ in Seattle. It was tough, but five C.G. trainees graduated in this first class. The first rescue swimmers were assigned to Air Station Elizabeth City on March 5, 1985.
After a few years of training with the Navy, the Coast Guard developed its own syllabus to cover the requirements of its search and rescue mission, which included scuba practice, tree extraction and mountain rescue. In addition, Coast Guard pilots had to be trained in techniques of deploying swimmers in hazardous conditions.
The swimmers quickly proved their value and demonstrated that they could be utilized in extreme weather conditions. The Coast Guard went fully operational with the rescue swimmer program in October of 1991--meaning all Aviation Survivalmen stood rescue swimmer duty at every Coast Guard air station across the country. There are around 300 rescue swimmers in the service, representing less than 1% of the total manpower.
An important improvement in training for rescue swimmers was the development of the Advanced Helicopter Rescue School in Astoria, Ore., which helps train ASTs in techniques such as vertical surface rescue, sea cave rescue, heavy surf rescue, and swift water rescue. In addition, innovations in sport science and exercise physiology are used to train ASTs and maintain operational fitness.
In addition to survival skills in extreme situations, rescue swimmers are also trained emergency medical technicians able to treat to victims en route to medical facilities. The most visible mission in the program's quarter century was Hurricane Katrina, where the Coast Guard air-lifted more than three-thousand people and stood out as the only functional organization during that traumatic period.
But while ASTs are the most visible aspect of helicopter rescues, it is important to remember that it takes an entire flight crew to save lives. The helicopter crew includes the two pilots and flight mechanic (winch operator) have all gone through an equally rigorous education, which gives the team an extraordinary level of training and readiness.
A-School Training
For new recruits, training begins like that of all military careers - in boot camp. During an eight-week program in Cape May, New Jersey, they receive their first taste of military life: discipline, physical fitness, and basic skills. Once they graduate, they move on to the fleet and work as undesignated seamen, performing a myriad of duties. Recruits who select Rescue Swimmer as their career designation will spend at least four months at an operational air station to qualify as an Airman.
He or she must receive the commanding officer's recommendation, pass a grueling physical fitness test--42 push-ups in two minutes, 50 sit-ups in two minutes, five pull-ups, a one-and-a-half mile run in less than 12 minutes and a 500-yard swim in less than 12 minutes. Then they wait anywhere from six months to two years just to get into the AST training program.
That fitness test is a just a warm-up compared to the work the trainees must endure if they make it into the 16-week AST A-School in Elizabeth City N.C. First, comes a four-week period of intense discipline that is the introduction to the business of rescue operations that the Coast Guard describes as "physically demanding." In phase two of the program, trainees are taught how to use a wet suit, mask and flippers, snorkel and life vest, and finally--how to jump from the orange and white Sikorsky HH-60J Jayhawk in a "30-foot hover" into waves and get people hooked up and hoisted out of the water.
In the final phase, students test out real-life scenarios rescuing dummies while carrying about thirty pounds of gear, including strobe light, emergency radio and flares. There are also specific techniques used for immobilized victims, multiple-person rescues, lowering by wire for cliff rescue or ship landings, night flying, poor visibility, plus the classic water-rescue situation where somebody grabs on to you and absolutely won't let go. Rescue swimmers must also become proficient in maintaining and repairing all the rescue equipment they use.
There is a high drop-out rate from this vigorous training. Those who survive Aviation Survival Technician School proceed to the next phase in Petaluma, Ca. for three weeks of EMT (emergency medical technician) training. The new graduate is then designated an Apprentice and assigned to an operational unit where he is teamed with an experienced partner. After a year with his unit--and more studying--the swimmer is ready to sit more tests to become a Journeyman AST.
Author's Note: I have been fortunate enough to observe the Advanced School in action at the mouth of the Columbia River, from the ground and in the air. This one-week program involves daily challenges that include cliff rescue at North Head, Washington, surf swimming off Clatsop Spit. and jumping from a helicopter into the Columbia off Cape Disappointment during a strong ebb. Last winter I had the memorable experience of riding along on this latter exercise. I watched as two swimmers disappeared out the door of the helicopter and were winched up together 5-10 minutes later!)
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