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.

• Withington 19-12-22

  We were called out around 10am this morning to support Gloucestershire Constabulary with a search for a high-risk missing person at Withington, to the east of Cheltenham.
  Land search teams from SARA Beachley, Tewkesbury and Cotswolds and a water search team from SARA Sharpness, along with a search dog from Serve On K9 SAR were all tasked, and were en route to the search RV when we heard from the Police that the missing lady had been found safe and well.

  We were also requested very early yesterday morning to support Wiltshire Search and Rescue with a search at Chippenham; thankfully that man was also located safely quite rapidly thereafter and we were stood down before deploying.

  20th Dec 2022

  20th Dec 2022

• Quedgeley 05-12-22

  At 2111 hrs yesterday evening, SARA was requested by Gloucestershire Police to assist with a search for a high risk missing person in the Quedgeley area.

  SARA Sharpness proceeded to launch two boats into the canal, SARA18 at Gloucester and SARA12 at Sharpness and commenced the search. Teams from SARA Beachley, Tewkesbury and Cotswolds stations prepared to conduct land and bank searches in the area. During the search of the canal, a body was sadly located and recovered by the boat team.

  The thoughts of the entire SARA crew are with the lady’s family and friends at this tragic time.

  5th Dec 2022

  5th Dec 2022

• Worcester 24-11-22

  SARA Wyre Forest were tasked by West Mercia Police to assist with a missing person search on the River Severn in Worcester.

  Crew deployed to the area with rescue boat SARA 26 and carried out a search using sonar equipment.
  After searching all afternoon, crews stood down as light was being lost with nothing having been found.

  The police investigation remains ongoing.

  24th Nov 2022

  24th Nov 2022

• Newport 23-11-22

  Just after 1430 were requested by Gwent Police and South Wales Fire Service to assist in the rescue of a person in the River Usk mud near the Riverfront Theatre in Newport and a search for a possible second person.

  The first person was rescued by the Fire Service. SARA launched both Rescue 20 and SARA Lifeboat 3 from Beachley, and searched until 1800 with nothing having been found. Likely that the report of a second person was a false alarm with good intentions.

  23rd Nov 2022

  23rd Nov 2022

• St Brides Wentlooge, Newport 19-11-22

  SARA Newport were called out to Beach Rd, St Brides, at 1830. They were asked to support Gwent Police with the recovery of a body which had been spotted on the shoreline.

  They were able to give the body a dignified recovery back inland so that it could be handed over to the police and undertakers.

  Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the person concerned.

  19th Nov 2022

  19th Nov 2022

• Stroud 16-11-22

  The SARA lead teams were called out this morning to support Gloucestershire Police and Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service with a high-risk missing person search in the Stroud area. Members from our stations at Tewkesbury, Beachley and Cotswolds all made for the RV, along with colleagues from Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group and Wiltshire Search and Rescue.

  As the first SARA members assembled, the missing person was located close by. SARA then worked with the police, fire and ambulance personnel to carry them out over some tricky terrain to the waiting air ambulance. We wish them a full and speedy recovery.

  Many thanks to everyone who responded.

  16th Nov 2022

  16th Nov 2022

• River Severn 15-11-22

  Both the SARA Beachley lifeboats were launched this morning to continue the search from Sunday morning. An extensive area of the Rivers Severn and Wye was covered, sadly with nothing being found.

  Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the missing local lady concerned.

  15th Nov 2022

  15th Nov 2022

• River Severn (2) 13-11-22

  While supporting SARA Beachley on a search, SARA Lifeboat 2 from Sharpness was tasked to assist with a dog that had been seen in the Severn. Luckily this was resolved quickly without their assistance.

  Then having been stood down from the search and whilst en route back to SARA Sharpness Lifeboat Station, they received an immediate tasking from the Coastguard to assist a vessel in difficultly near Thornbury Sailing Club. They arrived on scene within 15 minutes and proceeded to take 2 of the casualties on board and the vessel under tow. They put one of their crew on board to help manage the tow.

  It was a slow tow back into Thornbury Sailing Club, but they recovered the vessel safely to its mooring and the casualties to the shore.

  13th Nov 2022

  13th Nov 2022

• River Severn (1) 13-11-22

  At 4am SARA Beachley was requested by the Coastguard to conduct an urgent search in the River Severn. Due to the low tide SARA Lifeboat 3 was launched; she searched until around 7am.

  SARA Lifeboat 1 with fresh crew then took over, along with SARA 14 from Newport. SARA Sharpness also joined the search.

  All the SARA boats were stood down at around 10.30am with nothing having been found.

  13th Nov 2022

  13th Nov 2022

• Newport 12-11-22

  Lifeboat crew from SARA Newport and Beachley were called out at 8.30pm, to support the emergency services with an incident in the Usk in Newport. They were in the process of launching SARA Lifeboat 14 at Uskmouth at 9pm when it was reported that everyone was safe and well, and we were stood down.

  12th Nov 2022

  12th Nov 2022