The SARA lifeboat crew were called out just at the end of Thursday training.  The Coastguard asked us to investigate a report of a yacht drifting under the M4 Prince of Wales bridge.  SARA Lifeboat 1 had just been put away after training so she was quickly launched, at around 2045.

The crew made way to the downstream end of the possible area and searched back up through the area on the Welsh side of the Estuary.  Despite the good visibility there was nothing to be seen and nothing on the radar, so the crew were stood down just after 2130 and returned back to Beachley to recover.

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Just after 2pm we were called to launch to support Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, with a search for a horse that had become stuck in the River Severn mud. SARA Sharpness and Tewkesbury were deployed alongside with the GFRS specialist capabilities for rescuing animals of this size.

Our teams launched 2 boats (Sharpness's Rescue 12 and Rescue 15) and quickly located the horse, partially hidden under some trees. A suitable location was found to attempt a rescue and the team successfully got the horse ashore, under the guidance of a vet. The horse was then checked over and handed back to its owners.

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Just before 8pm we were called out to support Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service with the rescue of 14 cows that had become stuck in the River Severn at Ashleworth. Boat teams from SARA Sharpness and Tewkesbury attended, and support from SARA Wyre Forest Station was also requested.

Once on scene, our crews launched 2 boats (SARA 18 from South Glos and Rescue 17 from Tewkesbury) and were able to support the rescue efforts to ensure all cows and personnel were safely out of the river, which was completed by 10pm.

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The SARA Beachley lifeboat crew were called out just after 1330, to reports of kayakers in difficulty in the River Wye at Chepstow.   We launched SARA Lifeboat 7, and located the kayakers at the mouth of the River Wye, making their way round to Beachley on the outgoing tide.

The lifeboat crew checked the river up as far as the Wye Bridge but there were no other kayakers; we assume this was a false alarm with good intentions.

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For just over 72 hours, SARA  provided the first response to all inland water incidents for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.  The Fire Service had requested our support, along with that of fire services from across England and of other volunteer organisations, as they were hugely stretched dealing with the extensive and persistent wildfires.

This has been a magnificent cross-station effort, in which boat teams from SARA stations at Newport, Beachley, Sharpness and Tewkesbury, supported by colleagues from SARA Cotswolds and Upton, have been based at Cardiff Gate Fire Station.  SARA had 1, often 2, boat teams available on site from 1700 on Thursday (13 Aug) through until being stood down at 1900 on Sunday (16th) evening.

This has released firefighters to deal with the many wildfire incidents across South Wales, whilst maintaining the statutory requirement to respond to rescue calls.  During this time the teams responded reports of one person in the water in Cardiff and another in Newport; both were resolved with everyone safe.

We are proud to stand up for the communities of South Wales, and we will remain on standby now that our formal tasking has concluded

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At around 6pm a team from SARA Wyre Forest Station was deployed to support West Midlands Fire, Police and Ambulances Services in their response to the major fire in Stourbridge.

The crew assisted in evacuating a care home and provided logistical support to the fire service.

Our thoughts go out to the community that have been affected by this tragic incident.

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Early this afternoon we were called out to help another injured climber at Wintours Leap, near the foot of the well-known climb ‘Zelda’, with an injured shoulder.  

We supported Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service and a SWAST HART team at the casualty site and with the preparation of several extraction options.  At one point a rope rescue raise was proposed, and colleagues from SARA stations at Tewkesbury and Cotswolds were requested, and some duly attended.

However the rope option was more complicated than anticipated and the casualty was being well managed by HART, so in the end he was carried out to Lancaut by a combined Fire / SARA / HART team. We wish him a speedy recovery.

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