On Friday 19, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June we supported Wiltshire Search and Rescue with a large search for a missing person at Sutton Benger, near Chippenham.  Team members from SARA Beachley, Tewksbury and Cotswolds all attended and a SARA Sharpness team was stood ready.

Sadly at this time the search remains ongoing.

‍

We were called out around 4pm, to support Gloucestershrie Police with the search for a missing person in the Bishops Cleeve area, near Cheltenham.

Team members from SARA Beachley, Cotswolds and Tewkesbury attended and searched for several hours.  Thankfully the missing person was found and a SARA team could attend to her until an ambulance arrived.  We were stood down just after 9.30pm.

‍

In a pre-planned operation, a SARA rope team deployed to Woodcroft Quarry this morning. They supported a small team from Gloucestershire Police, who were following up on a serious climbing accident in the quarry on Sunday (31 May) afternoon. Having set up a suitable system, one team member abseiled down the relevant route as part of this work.

Very unusually, this was our second technical rope operation in 2 days.

We were called out around 2130 on Sunday (31 May) to an urgent high-risk missing person search in the area of Symonds Yat Rock Car Park. We requested support also from Longtown Mountain Rescue.  Parties from both teams searched the area, including where possible below the cliffs, and Longtown MRT deployed their drone.

Based on areas identified by the drone, a small SARA rope conducted some searches of specific cliff areas and sadly discovered a body below one such cliff. Following consultation with the police and no other ready access to cliff base, a combined SARA and Longtown team recovered the body using a technical rope system, with team members having abseiled down and then self-ascending on conclusion. The operation concluded around 0630.

Many thanks to all who attended. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the person concerned.

At 20:15 regular Thursday night training at SARA Beachley was interrupted by a developing situation on the Severn Bridge immediately above our station.

We were tasked by HM Coastguard to support the incident and SARA Lifeboat 3 was launched to standby next to the slipway. We were stood down at 22:33 once the incident was resolved by the Police.

‍

SARA Beachley Lifeboat Crew were called out around 1820, to a canoe drifting down the Wye past The Boat Inn, Chepstow.

SAAR Lifeboat 3 was launched, located and towed the canoe back to Beachley where it was handed over to Chepstow Coastguard .

‍

SARA Lifeboat 3 was launched around 1600, when we were tasked by HM Coastguard to attend a 17ft yacht with engine failure that had anchored in the Wye to avoid being carried down river. There were 4 persons on board and we were pleased to see they were all safe and well and all wearing life jackets. The engine was fixed again when we arrived so we escorted the vessel to St Pierre Pill.

On our return we were tasked (1715) by Gwent Police to attend a vulnerable person at Chepstow Castle. SARA 3 made haste to the river below the Castle. Thankfully the situation was resolved by the police, and we were stood down shortly afterwards

‍