JP 3-50 National Search and Rescue Manual Vol I - US Navy

survivors on board at one time, a sufficient number of boats should be
dispatched to the scene. When this is not possible, each boat should
deploy rafts so that those survivors who cannot be taken aboard
immediately can either be towed ashore or kept afloat while waiting.
Survivors left behind should be made as safe as conditions permit.
C. Assistance to a crashed or ditched aircraft will generally
consist of transferring personnel from plane to boat and picking up
survivors from the water or life rafts. It may also include towing the
aircraft.
755 Coordinated Helicopter/Boat Rescues
A. Occasionally both a helicopter and a boat will be dispatched.
When the helicopter arrives first and begins its rescue attempt, the
boat should take position upwind of the helicopter in the 2 o'clock
position at a safe distance and stand by as a backup. The boat must be
careful not to cross over the helicopter hoisting cable, nor to cross
between the survivor and helicopter, and must stay within pilot vision.
B. If the helicopter aborts the attempt, the pilot should depart
the immediate area of the survivor and signal for the boat to attempt
rescue. Helicopters may turn out the anticollision rotating beacon to
indicate they require boat assistance or are unable to complete the
rescue. Specific signals should be prearranged.
C. If the boat arrives first and makes the rescue, transfer of
survivors to the helicopter for more rapid delivery to medical
facilities may be advisable.
756 Underwater Rescue
Underwater rescue usually occurs in the United States Maritime Area
where the Coast Guard has coordination responsibility. Common
casualties include entrapment in capsized, damaged, or sunken vessels
and submersibles, and swimming and diving mishaps. Often, the Coast
Guard or local resources can respond effectively. However, in more
complex or major cases, the resources and expertise of the Navy are
used. In such cases the Navy normally assumes SMC and the Coast Guard
provides support. The organization and the procedure for submarine
rescue are described in the Navy Addendum to this manual (NWP 19 add).
For rescue of civilian submersibles, the SAR coordinator may use Navy
submarine rescue capability by asking the Chief of Naval Operations to
declare SUBMISS/SUBSUNK, putting the Navy submarine rescue forces into
operation. Specific procedures are contained in Coast Guard COMDTINST
16116.1 series and Navy OPNAVINST 3130.4 series.
757 Special Considerations
A. Civil aircraft break-in points. Areas of the fuselage of civil
aircraft that are suitable for emergency break-in by rescue crews are
usually marked. The markings are red or yellow, and may be outlined in
white to contrast with the back ground. If the corner markings are more