Does Ireland Have Rescue Swimmers

SuperMario

I constantly see coast guard helicopters in the airport and have seen them flying around the odd time.
Does Ireland have rescue swimmers and if so where do they train etc.
I checked military.ie but cant see any reference to them on that site or coast guard site.
Would they be attached to the air corp?

Or do we even have that capability.

(mods, not sure if this is the right place for this, maybe i should have put it in es forum)

Victor

It was a role that was done by the Air Corp but is now done by the Coastguard's contractor.

I imagine the swimming bit is overstated in that Kevin Costner movie, but you would have to be able to swim if necessary.

Dirk Gently

when god lifts houses from the land, we go out.

djtechnics1210

I only count the ones i lose

BigDuffman

We dont really have anything over here like that. But look up the PJs a USAF unit that train for CSAR on both land / Sea.

Or for the particularly waterbased activities, the US Coast Guard have Aviation Survival Technician / Rescue Swimmers.

diverdriver

No, there is a difference in style between the rescue methods of the US and the British/European. The Americans don't favour the strop for civilian rescues although they use it to rescue military personnel. They tend to use the basket for civilians so the swimmer is unattached. The ability to swim strongly would definitely be required for SAR crew. But there are no swimmers as such on this side of the pond. I always thought that it was a more dangerous practice with the potential to be swept away as featured in that dreadful Costner movie.

The Air Corps no longer do SAR although I imagine some winch training is done particularly since the AW-139s are can have one fitted. If you're thinking in terms of a career options. There isn't much choice. As the Air Corps aren't producing experienced SAR crew anymore most who work for the Coastguard are either ex British forces or come through the paramedic route. Recent recruits I seem to remember reading somwhere were experienced paramedics. They could probably swim too.:P

As for the USAF PJs that particular specialisation is considered one of the toughest to get into being a combination of special forces soldier and airman/medic.

time lord

On a light note wasn't the person on the winch usually drawn from an inf. batallion (the 2nd I think)and called the "dope on the rope".
Dont agree with the name but I think it was in common useage in the P.D.F. Fearless job.

diverdriver

The winchmen wouldn't just be any old soldier. It's requires a lot of training and there would be more than enough enthusiastic volunteers within the Air Corps, although it is possible that an infantryman transferred into the Air Corps and became a winchman later. Any aircrew position was much sought after in the Air Corps. Also I think the term 'dope on a rope' was probably applied self deprecatingly by the air crew themselves.

twinytwo

Victor wrote: »

It was a role that was done by the Air Corp but is now done by the Coastguard's contractor.

I imagine the swimming bit is overstated in that Kevin Costner movie, but you would have to be able to swim if necessary.

I assure you that it is not...How many people here can say they have been in open ocean during a sevre storm... even though it is rare with the equipment we have these days "being able to swim if necessary" dosent cut it if you 150 miles off shore in 30/40 foot + waves

Poccington

diverdriver wrote: »

The winchmen wouldn't just be any old soldier. It's requires a lot of training and there would be more than enough enthusiastic volunteers within the Air Corps, although it is possible that an infantryman transferred into the Air Corps and became a winchman later. Any aircrew position was much sought after in the Air Corps. Also I think the term 'dope on a rope' was probably applied self deprecatingly by the air crew themselves.

Yeah, the Winchman Course(Can't think of the proper name) comes up every now and again, it obviously involves a transfer to the AC though.

diverdriver

"being able to swim if necessary" doesn't cut it if you 150 miles off shore in 30/40 foot + waves

Maybe but it would be a pity to drown in flat calm conditions in sight of the beach, should the heli ditch:D Even airline pilots are expected to be able to swim a couple of lengths of the pool as part of their training.

Edit: This thread must be affecting me. I dreamt last night that I was offered a job as a winchman on the Coastguard helicopters. I kept asking them if they were sure? LOL. Then they said I could start training as a pilot when I was there three months. Great dream, hopefully it's actually a vision of the future.!!!!!!!!!!! (If only).

Luckily I can already swim!

oneillryano

So basically there's no opportunity in becoming a 'Rescue Swimmer' in Ireland as we don't produce a crew for that sort of stuff anymore?

goldie fish

Whoosh!

oneillryano

goldie fish wrote: »

Whoosh!

Something to add " Goldie Fish" ?

Tabnabs

The Air Corp are beginning to get back into the swing of things

oneillryano

Tabnabs wrote: »

The Air Corp are beginning to get back into the swing of things

Looks good. My brother tried to transfer into the Air Corp from the Navy a few years back. Hopefully they'll start a dedicated program for rescue swimmers or something similar.

discus

That's cool as ****, I'd love that job!

goldie fish

oneillryano wrote: »

Something to add " Goldie Fish" ?

I was pointing out that the poster seem to have ignored everything that was said up to that point on the thread.

iceage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e49QlxZm2Ik

The crux to the question is the term swimmer.. I'm open to correction but my understanding of a rescue swimmer is that they are untethered ie they either jump or are winched down but can untether themselves to enact a rescue. The US model in its earlier days was designed to rescue downed pilots from the water after an ejection or entrapment in a submerged jet. I know of British naval SAR swimmers who would jump in some cases with SCUBA untethered but this technique was stopped.

This is not taking from the guys above, in my reckoning any person who puts themselves outside a flying wokka wokka has rather large balls of steel.

Manic Moran

Since this thread started, there was a series which aired in the US named "Coast Guard Alaska", which has a lot of helmet-cam footage from the swimmers.

ex_infantry

Manic Moran wrote: »

Since this thread started, there was a series which aired in the US named "Coast Guard Alaska", which has a lot of helmet-cam footage from the swimmers.

there was a programme like that on this side of the pond on the channel "watch" don't know if it still on

Jawgap

U.S. Air Force MC-130P’s pararescue jumper: “it’s a tough job but someone has to do it”

i know it's a serious job done by serious people, but the guys in full kit walking along the ramp in flippers is still viscerally funny