Lifting

Having brought the casualty alongside and secured them, the final stage is to get them out of the water. If they’re wearing a lifejacket the simplest way to do this is by pulling them up on that – it’s very uncomfortable, but it does work. If lifejacket leg straps were more substantial this would be a far less brutal experience. However, we wanted to try some of the more sophisticated devices that can lift a casualty in a more horizontal position. We tried a range of equipment, from traditional helicopter strops right through to a specialised mat and floating retrieval module. We also had a 6:1 purchase system and plenty of halyards.

HYDROSTATIC SQUEEZE

Lifting a casualty horizontally reduces the