Stop in for a cup of coffee

so I got a funny story. i may have told you all this before don't recall.

My brother is in the Marines, lots of helicopters and such that fly off the decks. Well one of the units had a blow up doll they'd dressed in full pilot gear and that flew in one of the Helios. One day in the middle of the ocean, the choppers were landing at the same time. Chrew chief opened the doors on the one with the blow up doll a tad too soon, the rotor wash sucked her out and flung her into the ocean. All the airboss saw was a uniformed figure flying over the edge, they turned the carrier around, launched a SAR helicopter and divers, they weren't very happy to learn it was just a blow up doll.
Gee, I can't understand why. Just consider it a 'realistic drill' without risking the life of the subject being rescued.

More importantly, did they discover it was just a doll before or after they rescued it?