A U.S. Coast Guard Sikorsky HH-52A <i>Seaguard</i> helicopter (s/n 1364) with a rescue basket. "Although the rescue basket and hoist had been developed and put into use by the time the HH-52 entered service the Coast Guard did not have the trained personnel to actually jump in the water to assist injured or incapacitated survivors.  The only exception to this was if the co-pilot volunteered to jump in (and the aircraft commander approved)--the aircrewman had to stay on board the aircraft to operate the hoist; consequently survivors were required to get into the lowered basket themselves.  Some units experimented with what became known as rescue swimmers but it was not until the 1980s that the service formally instituted a rescue swimmer program." (USCG)
USCG
circa 1961-1967
U.S. Coast Guard <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.uscg.mil/history/webaircraft/USCGAviationHistoricPhotoGallery1946.asp">[1]</a> photo <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.uscg.mil/history/img/air/SikHH52CG13641963002sm.jpg">[2]</a>