An extra sling could help save more lives when people are plucked from the
sea by helicopter. Survivors can suffer fatal heart attacks when winched from
the icy water. The traditional sling, which hauls people up in a vertical
position, causes blood to collect in the legs and increases the strain on the
heart.
A second sling positioned under the survivor’s feet allows the helicopter to
lift up the body horizontally. This reduces the stress on the heart, according
to tests carried out by Jens Rollnik of the Medical School of Hannover in
Germany (International Journal of Sports Medicine, vol…
