From 1pm on Friday afternoon and throughout the night, teams from SARA supported the Storm Claudia flood response effort in Abergavenny, Skenfrith and Monmouth, and the surrounding areas.  

This was a real multi-agency collaborative effort, led by Fire, where we worked alongside and directly with colleagues from Fire, Police, HM Coastguard, Ambulance and Longtown Mountain Rescue Team.SARA members from our stations at Beachley, Sharpness, Tewkesbury and Newport attended, sometimes for more than one stint.  

Together, our agencies have carried out rescues and evacuations, and have undertaken welfare checks on residents impacted by the rising water. As a team, we are devastated to see the effects of this flooding on our communities.

Our thoughts are with everyone affected.

SARA Newport were tasked by Gwent Police to assist at a water rescue incident near Cwmbran during Thursday evening which continued into the early hours of Friday morning. We deployed our swift water rescue teams alongside other emergency service partners.  Due to the hazardous water conditions, we also requested the assistance of a HM Coastguard rescue helicopter and the immediate launch of a SARA lifeboat from SARA Beachley

On Friday morning, we were tasked by Gloucestershire Constabulary to assist with the search for a high-risk missing person in the Gloucester area. Teams from SARA Tewkesbury, Cotswolds, and Beachley, as well as search dogs from the Search and Rescue Dog Association South Wales, conducted area searches until dusk, when the search was suspended. Whilst preparing to deploy again on Saturday morning, we were informed by the police that, thankfully, the missing person had been located safely. This search was the first deployment of our new Starlink satellite data communications setup. We would like to thank Premier Inn Little Witcombe for their hospitality during the day.

Around 3pm, Gloucestershire Police requested the launch of our inland boat teams, to support an incident at Westgate Bridge, Gloucester. Both SARA 18 and SARA 12 were launched.Working closely, once again, with Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service boat crew, we conducted a thorough multi-boat search of the area. Crews stood down at 17:45hrs with nothing found.

We were called out around 7pm  to support Gloucestershire Constabulary with a search for a high risk missing person in the Gloucester area.  Team members from Sharpness, Beachley, Tewkesbury and Cotswolds attended, and commenced searching areas of land and water – the latter both by water search teams on foot and by crew in two boats.Soon after we started, the missing lady was found by one of the SARA teams, safe and on land.  She was looked after by two of our RRMTs, together with police officers, and then handed over to the ambulance service.  Many thanks to all who responded.

Shortly after 4pm we received an immediate launch request, to a possible person in the water near the SDR Bridge. We launched SARA Lifeboat 14 ‘The Maureen Easton’ and were joined on the water by two South Wales Fire and Rescue Service vessels and by air from Wales Air Ambulance Charity & National Police Air Service HQ. With both Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust & HM Coastguard Chepstow providing shore based cover, this was a full multi agency tasking. Our first tasking was to an object in the water by Newport Docks, that turned out to be a large log. Given the outgoing tide SARA 14 then made way to the SDR Bridge re-tracing the Fire Service vessels initial search. After NPAS completed a final arial search and nothing was found SARA 14 was stood down, false alarm with good intent.

Just before midday the Coastguard  paged us in response to a report of an upturned kayak between the two Severn Bridges. SARA Lifeboat 1 launched and began a search pattern from an updated sighting near the POW M4 bridge. An upturned rowing boat was spotted just downstream of the bridge. Working with RNLI Portishead the vessel was righted and recovered onto SARA1. The Coastguard Helicopter Rescue 387 was also involved and conducted further searches, but it appeared the boat had been unoccupied.  Our lifeboat crew recovered the boat to Beachley and handed it over to HM Coastguard Chepstow.