This last reason was the primary initiative behind the design of quick release vests as a helicopter crash in 1999 led to several US Marines drowning because they could not remove all their layers of armor and load bearing equipment fast enough. This is also described under the Full Spectrum Battle Equipment Amphibious Assault Vest entry, which the CIRAS was developed from.
The primary reason for quick-release vest design was a 1999 helicopter crash that resulted in several US Marines drowning because they couldn't quickly remove all their protective gear and equipment. This is also detailed under the Full Spectrum Battle Equipment Amphibious Assault Vest entry, which the CIRAS originated from.