Retrieving a man overboard

What methods do you have set up on your boat to retrieve someone from the water should they fall overboard? Prevention is better than cure, and ideally your crew will not fall into the sea; but there is always the chance it might happen. During the last 40 years or so of sailing, I have lost five people overboard, and all have been within 100m of a pontoon, pier or wharf. So I do have a few ideas of how to retrieve someone. Over the next few months I will show you some of these methods.

A tribuckle is an excellent piece of kit, sadly now, I believe, out of production, but there are some similar contraptions still available. Tied to the toe rail, and with the spinnaker halyard made to the apex the casualty is floated into the bunt of the contraption and then the halyard is taken up and the body rolls up the side of the boat. The major advantage is that the body is pulled out horizontally, which will mean less chance of the casualty having a stroke as the blood does not immediately drain to the toes. There may be difficulty in strong winds to get the material to stay in the water, a boathook may help here. What do you do if the man in the water is unconscious? You may like to discuss this by posting a comment below. If you have some brilliant idea for retrieving a casualty, why not explain it and I will publicise it in All At Sea?