Incidents

We are tasked by the emergency services, including HM Coastguaard, Fire & Rescue, Police and the Ambulance Services. Our teams are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Below are the callouts that we have attended.

• Grear Barr, Birmingham 19-01-24

  Land Search crew from SARA Wyre Forest & SARA Upton deployed to assist West Midlands Police with an ongoing missing person search in the Grear Barr area of Birmingham, we also asked colleagues from Midlands Cave Rescue to assist. West Mercia Search and Rescue, Warwickshire Search and Rescue & Leicestershire Search and Rescue were also in attendance.

  Shortly after deploying into their initial search area, the mixed SARA and MCRO search team received new intel and quickly redeployed and successfully managed to locate the missing young man alongside a colleague from WMSAR.

  After being checked over by one of our cas carers, and spoken to by police, he was reunited with his family.

  This was a multi day search effort with Cheshire Search and Rescue and Staffordshire Search and Rescue also in attendance on previous days.

  This was another great example of multiple agencies working together resulting in a very successful outcome.

  19th Jan 2024

  19th Jan 2024

• Tewkesbury & Gloucester Floods 08-01-24

  One of SARA’s flood rescue teams, from SARA Sharpness Station, was deployed again today (Monday), to conduct welfare checks and a house evacuation in the Gloucester area. A team from SARA Sharpness has been out in the Gloucester area each day since Thursday. We also deployed a flood rescue team from SARA Tewkesbury on Thursday and Friday, in the Tewkesbury area and later near Tirley.

  Our volunteers have carried out numerous evacuations of residents from flooded homes – both people and their pets (4 cats from one house), and in one case having to first take a translator as the evacuees were refugees from overseas. We have conducted welfare checks and taken in supplies to those who cannot leave.

  We have worked alongside colleagues from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, social services, parish councils and Gloucestershire County Council to support residents.

  8th Jan 2024

  8th Jan 2024

• Birmingham 07-01-24

  Land crew from SARA Wyre Forest, Tewkesbury and Upton Stations deployed alongside colleagues from West Mercia Search & Rescue, Cheshire Search and Rescue, Staffordshire Search and Rescue Team and Warwickshire Search and Rescue this morning to assist with a missing person search in the South Birmingham area.

  Thankfully the missing gentleman was located by one of the search parties and handed over to the emergency services.

  7th Jan 2024

  7th Jan 2024

• River Severn POW Bridge 30-12-23

  Just before 9pm, in an operation involving Gwent Police and Maritime and Coastguard Agency, we were tasked to search for a vulnerable male believed to have entered the water from the POW Bridge. As it became unclear whether he had entered the water, lifeboat SARA1 held at readiness on the slipway.

  Meanwhile, National Police Air Service (NPAS) and Coastguard helicopters, along with police officers on the ground, searched the area. We were stood down at 2148.

  About 2230 we had a further request for a search between the bridges based on emerging information. SARA1 and SARA3 both launched. With nothing found we stood down and recovered the boats around 0030.

  The police later found the missing person safe on land.

  30th Dec 2023

  30th Dec 2023

• Winchcombe 15-12-23

  Around midnight, not long after the Bredon shout, our Land Search Team was called out to the Winchcombe area, to support Gloucestershire Police with a high risk missing person search. Team members from SARA Wyre Forest, Tewkesbury, Cotswolds and Beachley all deployed, and searched from 1am to 4.30am, before being stood down with nothing found.

  A further deployment was envisaged this morning but thankfully the lady concerned was found safe by a member of the public this morning, well outside the area we had been asked to search.
  Great work by all and many thanks to those who responded,

  15th Dec 2023

  15th Dec 2023

• Bredon (River Avon) 14-12-23

  We were called out to Bredon late in the afternoon. A small cruiser was in difficulties, stuck on mooring poles due to the high water levels. Team members from nearby SARA Tewkesbury and Upton Stations were joined by others from SARA Wyre Forest and Sharpness to assist.

  SARA Tewkesbury’s small rescue boats Rescue 16 and Rescue 17 were launched. The first cruiser was ‘unstuck’ and secured, others checked and then also a second very stuck boat was freed and secured.

  14th Dec 2023

  14th Dec 2023

• Jackfield River Severn 9-12-23

  The SARA Wyre Forest crew were tasked to assist West Mercia Police with an ongoing investigation on the River Severn in the Jackfield area. Crew quickly deployed to scene and were joined by colleagues from SARA Tewkesbury and Upton stations and the drone team from Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.

  Crews stood down as light was being lost with nothing found

  A massive thank you to the The Half Moon in Jackfield for their support and hospitality during our deployment.

  9th Dec 2023

  9th Dec 2023

• Henbury, Bristol 4-12-23

  We were called out in the late afternoon to the area of Henbury, Bristol, to support Avon & Somerset Search and Rescue (ASSAR) with a search for a missing man. The search was focused on a swollen water course and we deployed a number of SRT teams, as well as land search teams, with team members from our stations at Beachley, Sharpness, Upton and Tewkesbury.

  After several hours of searching in the dark we were stood down, with the police investigation ongoing.

  4th Dec 2023

  4th Dec 2023

• Wyndcliff 28-10-23

  We were called out by South Wales Fire Service shortly after 1730, to reports of an injured lady on 365 Steps – at Wyndcliff close to Chepstow – with a suspected C-Spine injury. A rope team was requested.

  Our first local team member was on scene quickly, joining multiple teams from the Fire and Ambulance Services. Further team members from Beachley and Tewkesbury Stations were en route. Before long it became apparent that the lady was able to walk and that our assistance was no longer required, so team was stood down and members could go out their Halloween parties after all.

  28th Oct 2023

  28th Oct 2023

• River Severn M48 Bridge 27-10-23

  Shortly before 11.00 the Coastguard paged and asked us to investigate an object that had been reported floating upstream of the M48 bridge by a member of the public. We launched SARA Lifeboat 3, and quickly found an upturned dinghy.

  After checks for potential occupants we recovered the dinghy to Beachley and handed it to HM Coastguard Chepstow.

  27th Oct 2023

  27th Oct 2023