I am a USCGAUX member and I was asked at a public affairs presentation recently what the average length of service was for rescue swimmers; how often they get wet; how many rescues are typical throughout a career. I had no idea of course. Anybody have any statistics?

alfaux81,

although i'm a retired helo rescue swimmer and can't offer you any statistics, i feel safe to say that the typical length of a rescue swimmer's career is very similar to those of other ratings: some stay for a single tour or two; others make it a 20 year or longer career. i'd have to say the current retention of swimmers is probably pretty good at the moment.

swimmers are in the water quite often. when i was a swimmer in kodiak, san diego and detroit, we had swimmer training flights 2 to 3 times a week. there are only so many swimmers at each airstation but there are more flightmechs and pilots that need the recurrent training as well. so all swimmers get plenty of "wet time".
there's always some sort of rs training going on.

as for the number of rescues; it's like going to a casino. sometimes you're hot and get the luck of the draw, sometimes not. certain air stations also typically see more sar cases than others, so that can play part in how many cases each swimmer may/may not participate in. one certainty, though: the longer one remains a swimmer, the more likely they'll accumulate the sar stories .

hope this helps. i'm sure there's plenty of active helo rescue swimmers that can also add their two cents worth to this discussion as well. best wishes to you; keep up the great work with the public affairs presentations, mate.

mario m.

We we're just working on some of this info last week. Since 1993.....

Lives Assisted - 13,519
Lives Saved - 15,395

Thanks! That's a big help.

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as for the number of rescues; it's like going to a casino. sometimes you're hot and get the luck of the draw, sometimes not. certain air stations also typically see more sar cases than others, so that can play part in how many cases each swimmer may/may not participate in. one certainty, though: the longer one remains a swimmer, the more likely they'll accumulate the sar stories .

Unless your Senior Chief Ben Randall and you are the only duty standing swimmer in Kodiak and they only call on you for all the cases, then your hot!

Yah, and if you're Ben Randall, you can even retire, and get called in on active cases ...

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Originally posted by SociallyAutistic:
Yah, and if you're Ben Randall, you can even retire, and get called in on active cases ...

Yah you betcha for sure.

Yeah I'd be willing to bet the movie generated the question. I guess you do have to let Hollywood be Hollywood a bit if you want to sell movies.

I guess so ... what I wondered was the Sela Ward scene with big Clancy Brown just after Ben ate it ... I think she was saying to him, something like ...

"What do you mean, he retired, so his damn SGLI was cancelled?"

haha nice, I am joining the coast guard and am leaving in may for boot camp, I am currently a non rate which sounds pretty cool but I was wondering what would be the best line of action to become a rescue swimmer? like what kind of jobs have the best chance for jumping out of helos? or really doing any sar missions

just curiouse
Zach

There is only one way to be qualified to jump out of a helicopter in the Coast Guard. You must become an AST.

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I am currently a non rate which sounds pretty cool

That IS cool ... hell, that's Macarena cool.

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I am joining the coast guard and am leaving in may for boot camp, I am currently a non rate

If you're leaving for bootcamp in may, how can you currently be a non-rate?

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Originally posted by oldswimmer:

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I am joining the coast guard and am leaving in may for boot camp, I am currently a non rate

If you're leaving for bootcamp in may, how can you currently be a non-rate?

'tis possibly.....I'd (or someone else can) have to look at current regs, but on a DEP and placed in a inactive reserve....maybe an E1??? I think I was that way a couple of moons ago when I was a skinny lad.

Maybe the poor guy was confused...give him a break guys...LOL