South China Sea. (April 15, 2023): In this photo by MC1st Tom Tonthat, Yeoman 3rd Class Joseph Shortino, a search and rescue (SAR) swimmer, signals to the amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage during a man overboard recovery drill. These drills are a critical element of vessel safety and prepare the crew to jump into action quickly in the event of a crew member falling overboard. The legend of the SAR rescue swimmer was immortalized in the 2006 motion picture The Guardian starring Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher that portrayed their legendary courage and willingness to face danger. With lives on the line, rescue swimmers challenge high seas, dangerous lightning, and strong currents while risking their lives to save others. In a typical rescue, the SAR swimmer jumps from a helicopter into hellish waves and then battles brutal currents to reach panicked victims who are fighting for their lives.
As you can imagine, the road to becoming a rescue swimmer is one of the most physically and emotionally challenging in the U.S. military. An applicant must be able to swim four hundred meters in 11 minutes, for example, and able to run a mile and a half in under 12 minutes just to even be considered for the program.
Students attend a four-week-long Aircrew School followed by the five-week-long Aviation Rescue Swimmer School in Pensacola, Florida. After graduating, SAR students go on to their respective ‘A’ School to learn a specific field and then they are off to their fleet assignment.
But that is where their real education begins.
Crew members must get to know the helicopter they will be flying and learn how to operate the hoist used to pull victims aboard under extreme conditions. Additionally, swimmers must be able to give basic pre-hospital life support for rescued individuals so each candidate must pass an exhaustive emergency medical training course.
The last stop for a rescue swimmer is SERE School (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape), a brutal two-week course that pushes students to the breaking point. Only then are they qualified to serve on the front lines as rescue swimmers.