Vertical Surface Hoist – General
The term “vertical surface hoist” describes a hoist to any surface in which the rescue swimmer must be supported by his harness in a rappelling position (sitting in his harness with his feet in front of him against the surface). In the Coast Guard rotary-wing rescue community, the term “positive contact” refers to when the swimmer achieves this rappelling position.
A typical vertical surface hoist is conducted as follows:
1. The swimmer is deployed to a position on the vertical surface.
2. After the swimmer makes initial contact, the flight mechanic and pilot work together to create an angle on the hoist cable, providing the tension necessary for the swimmer to reach the rappel position or achieve positive contact.
3. While maintaining positive contact throughout, the swimmer traverses across the surface until they are below the survivor.
4. The aircrew then walks the swimmer up to the survivor and the survivor is placed in a quick strop and hoisted. In certain cases, the swimmer conducts a physical grip of the survivor. Whether the swimmer uses a rescue device or not, often the rescue terminates after a short haul to an acceptable area where the survivor can be placed on more level footing.
Hunting or hiking falls often result in vertical surface hoists. In areas affected by severe flooding, vertical surface hoists allow swimmers to traverse steep roofs or be hoisted to the sides of buildings for window entry. In the Pacific Northwest, there are steep headlands and remote beaches at the base of the headlands, which creates a classic vertical surface rescue scenario. Usually, an individual walks around a point to access a remote beach and when the tide comes in, the water prevents them from returning around the point in the direction they came. Now trapped, the individual climbs up the steep headland where at some point they are unable to go any higher or descend, and they remain stuck at their precarious perch.
For this reason, many seaside communities in the Pacific Northwest have high angle ropes teams. However, these teams are not always available on short notice, or the terrain does not permit a ropes rescue (e.g., there is not an acceptable anchor point for the team), in which case, a Coast Guard helicopter may be the best asset to affect a rescue.
Effective crew coordination, precise hovering, and sound cable management—skills developed through vertical surface hoist training—are essential across a wide range of rescue scenarios. While many hoist operations may not involve true vertical surfaces, they can still benefit from brief positive contact to stabilize the Rescue Swimmer and improve overall safety. For example, during flood rescues involving stranded individuals on vehicle roofs, such as a bus, a small swing can develop during a high deployment. In these cases, the Flight Mechanic may first hoist the swimmer to the side of the vehicle, allowing them to achieve stability through minimal positive contact before guiding them onto the roof. This approach reduces the risk of the swimmer swinging into survivors, where even a minor pendulum could displace those awaiting rescue.