Rescue craft

Similarly, the UK rescues use both Royal Air Force SAR and UK Coastguard personnel for helicopter rescues, and in the US the United States Coast Guard is tapped.

There were attempts as early as the 14th century to aid shipwreck victims with the Chinese training in resuscitation for the drowning, as well as in Portugal and Sweden in the 1690s ordering that ships should be sent to sea to rescue shipwreck survivors.

The first mention of lifeboats was in China where boats were used to rescue people from the rivers in 1737.

[1] The development of the seaplane meant that aircraft could be used to rescue people, but was limited as they could not land or take off in heavy seas.

Helicopters overcame this problem as they were able to hover over the victim and give aid by dropping a line to them with either a basket or diver to assist their extraction.