Cadets at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy have designed a new rescue basket that can be used by the service's helicopters.
The Coast Guard's Research and Development Center worked with first class cadets Christian Breviario, Riely Brande, Benjamin Crutchfield, Nolan Richerson and Spencer Smith over the past year to improve the basket currently used by the Coast Guard on MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters, according to the Department of Defense. The cadets are studying mechanical engineering.
"In 2009, the Research and Development Center conducted an internal Coast Guard study," RDC research project manager M.J. Lewandowski said. "The study noted that the Coast Guard’s ability to respond to mass rescue incidents was, and still is, somewhat limited in the methods available to remove large numbers of people from a hazardous marine situation quickly and safely."
The new basket can easily carry two people to safety instead of one, especially saving valuable time in a mass incident where 18 or more individuals need helicopter assistance. The team determined the change could cut the amount of time needed to conduct an evacuation in half.
Improvements also include the fact the new basket is more buoyant, increasing comfort for rescued victims, and the door on the basket makes it easier for those with disabilities to enter and exit.
"We have added a means of entry that is easier for people who may be injured or have limited mobility," Breviario said. "We have also maximized the space dimensions of the basket, given the dimensions of the MH-60 Jayhawk cabin. With these modifications we have made the basket more accessible, decreased the amount of time needed per hoisting evolution, and improved upon the effectiveness of the Coast Guard during mass rescue incidents."
Breviario said the team is looking forward to seeing the new basket deployed to Coast Guard helicopters.
"We feel extremely proud of what we have accomplished this semester, and along the way, we have gained a lot of traction from our sponsor and aviation operators in the fleet," Breviario said. "We would love to see our project make it to the fleet in the future, but even more so we feel that we have taken the next steps in providing a solution to a problem the Coast Guard faces on numerous occasions each year."