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.

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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 .

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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

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We were called around 1930 on Friday evening (15 May) by Gloucestershire Constabulary, to assist with a missing person search.  SARA Sharpness were asked to conduct search of the canal west of the dock, and launched Rescue Boats 12 and 15.  At that time land search teams from other stations were stood by, but not deployed.  The search on Friday was called off about 2300, with nothing having been found.

Land search teams from Tewkesbury, Beachley and Cotswolds were then deployed on Saturday morning (16 May), from around 0830.  They searched an area of parkland in Gloucester City Centre through until around 1400, and were again stood down with nothing having been found.

We were delighted to learn on Monday morning (18 May) from the Police that the missing person had been found safe.

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SARA Lifeboat 14 was launched upon request of HMCG to search the sea wall / shoreline at Goldcliff, for a fisherman believed to have fallen into the water.

The area was searched but nothing found.  The fisherman was later confirmed safe on land

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