Sunday Ship History: Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers

The history of the U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer program well set out in U. S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Program by LCDR Richard M. Wright, USCG (Ret.):

Congress, therefore, mandated in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1984 that "The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall use such sums as are necessary, from amounts appropriated for the operational maintenance of the Coast Guard, to establish a helicopter rescue swimmer program for the purpose of training selected Coast Guard personnel in rescue swimming skills."

October will mark the 25th Anniversary of the first Coast Guardsmen to graduate from the Navy Rescue Swimmer School and the real founding of the CG program. Since then, numerous lives have been saved.

Training is rigorous - with a 50% drop rate.

Lower photo: Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott D. Rady, 34, of Tampa, Fla., pulls a pregnant woman from her flooded New Orleans home here today. Rady is a rescue swimmer sent from Clearwater, Fla., to help aid in search and rescue efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. U.S. Coast Guard photograph by Petty Officer 2nd Class NyxoLyno Cangemi