Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers Brave Extreme Conditions to Save Lives

Former U.S. Coast Guard helicopter rescue swimmer Joseph "Butch" Flythe recounts one of his early missions, where he leaped from a helicopter into the ocean 100 miles (161 kilometers) off North Carolina's Cape Hatteras to assist two men whose sailboat had overturned in a storm. When it was time to guide them into the rescue basket, the second man panicked due to the helicopter's rotor wash. "He lost control," Flythe remembers. "I had to use pressure points, similar to wrestling techniques, to calm him down." Unlike pool lifeguards, rescue swimmers must maintain control at all costs. "If he slips away, it's easy to lose him," Flythe explains.

Step into the perilous, high-stakes world of Coast Guard rescue swimmers, who are trained to leap from helicopters into the water to save lives. As highlighted on the service's website, they are vital members of helicopter teams that rescue individuals from the most dangerous scenarios — "from cliffs and rooftops, ice floes and glaciers, and from turbulent waves and ocean caves."

As Flythe, a retired master chief petty officer, puts it, "You need to be a source of calm amidst chaos."

The job is incredibly demanding, even for highly trained specialists in peak physical condition, with the constant risk of severe injury or death. Remarkably, Flythe notes that the U.S. Coast Guard has not yet experienced a fatality in the water, but swimmers have faced broken bones, spinal injuries, and other serious harm. "During a high hoist, if you're lowered onto a rocking vessel, you can get thrown against the side," he explains. In one rescue involving a burning ship, "a swimmer was dropped into a diesel slick and suffered throat burns from inhaling the fumes."

Flythe remembers a colleague who nearly got trapped in a cave during a rescue. The swimmer had to exert himself so intensely that his core body temperature soared to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).

History of the Rescue Swimmer

The Coast Guard's rescue swimmer program was established following the 1983 Marine Electric disaster. During this incident, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter team attempted to save 34 crew members from the capsized Marine Electric during a winter storm off Virginia's coast. By the time rescuers arrived, most victims in the water had succumbed to hypothermia and couldn't climb into the rescue basket. Despite hours of relentless effort, only three of the 34 crew members were saved. After an investigation, Congress mandated the Coast Guard to train select personnel to perform water rescues.

Flythe, one of the first Coast Guard rescue swimmers, later oversaw training at the service's facility in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and eventually managed the national rescue swimmer program until his retirement in 2007. He explains that Coast Guard rescue swimmers are officially classified as aviation survival technicians (AST). However, Flythe adds, "when they're out and someone asks what they do, they simply say, 'I'm a rescue swimmer.'"

Beyond rescue missions, their responsibilities include inspecting and maintaining emergency gear, as well as training and evaluating others in survival techniques, such as escaping a sinking aircraft.

Flythe, trained by the U.S. Navy before the Coast Guard established its own program, highlights the difference between Coast Guard and Navy rescue swimmers. While Navy swimmers focus on rescuing trained pilots from crashes, "their mission is combat rescue, often in extremely dangerous situations," he explains. Coast Guard swimmers face similar risks but with the added challenge of assisting civilians.

"I’d often be lowered onto a fishing boat with a family—mom, dad, kids, and even the dog," Flythe recalls. "We’re dealing with people who aren’t trained for emergencies."

Part Superhero, Part Psychologist

In addition to being an exceptionally fit athlete and proficient swimmer, a rescue swimmer must also possess psychological skills, knowing how to handle individuals overwhelmed by fear in unfamiliar and terrifying situations.

Once they leap from the helicopter into the water — ideally from a height of 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 meters) — rescue swimmers must race against time, as the aircraft has limited fuel and must conserve enough to return safely to land.

Rescue swimmers enter the water wearing wetsuits layered with additional clothing to shield them from the cold. They are also equipped with a protective helmet, a mask and snorkel, a safety harness, and essential gear such as a knife, a strobe light for visibility, and a radio to communicate with the helicopter pilot if rescue plans need adjustment. Among their most crucial tools are the large black fins that enhance their swimming power.

They also possess a sharp mental focus honed through the Coast Guard's rigorous training, which includes simulated storms with artificial waves, thunderous sounds, and water jets to replicate the chaotic conditions beneath a hovering helicopter.

"The training also evaluates how individuals perform under pressure," Flythe notes. "Scenarios are introduced where a swimmer exits the helicopter to rescue one survivor, then two, and eventually three."

Despite extensive training, rescue swimmers often face unforeseen dangers. Flythe recounts an incident in Alaska where a rescue swimmer, responding to an aircraft crash, encountered a bear searching for food. "He scared the bear away using a flare," Flythe recalls.

Individuals who pursue such a high-risk and demanding role are motivated by various factors. Some seek a career filled with challenges, while others are inspired by patriotism or the profound fulfillment of saving lives. As Flythe puts it: "When you're back in the aircraft with the people you've rescued, their gratitude is evident in their eyes."