Which of the following is a method a Coast Guard helicopter might use to rescue survivors or evacuate injured mariners?

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In helicopter rescue operations, the method that directly brings people from the water or a vessel into the helicopter is the rescue hoist with a rescue basket. The basket is lowered on a cable to reach survivors, who are placed inside and secured, and then hoisted back up into the helicopter. This setup is designed to handle injured mariners or multiple survivors quickly and safely, even when swimmers can’t climb aboard or when seas are rough. It keeps people close to the helicopter and above the water, reducing exposure to waves and weather while medical personnel can provide care during the ascent.

The other options aren’t used to physically retrieve people: signaling with aerial flares helps rescuers locate a position, not to pick up survivors; a parachute-assisted drop is for delivering people or supplies downward, not lifting them upward; and retrieving a floating buoy is for objects, not for rescuing mariners.