The invention relates to means for launching into the water, from a height H greater than a predetermined height hmax, a life-saving means (1) designed to be able to be launched into the water in free fall from this maximum height hmax. One end of a halyard (4) is fixedly hooked to the life-saving means or to the launch site (2); the halyard functionally cooperates (at 7) respectively with the launch site or the life-saving means so that the life-saving means falling by gravity is braked on and/or by the halyard over at least one part (H-hmax) of its drop height. By controlling the braking effect, the life-saving means, falling from the height H in a braked manner over at least one part (H-hmax) of this height hits the surface of the water (5) with a kinetic energy not exceeding that which it would have at the end of a non-braked free fall from at most the height hmax.