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.

• Frampton-upon-Severn 15-07-24

  Shortly before 8pm, we were called out by Gloucestershire Constabulary for a high risk missing person.
  On arrival, Land and Water teams began a search of the Saul Junction area, along with Police and Coastguard assets.

  Shortly before 10pm the missing lady was located alive and un-injured by a Coastguard team, and handed over to the ambulance service for further care

  15th Jul 2024

  15th Jul 2024

• Wintours Leap, Chepstow 06-07-24

  Around midday, we were called to the area of Lancaut Nature Reserve to assist the Police with a search for a missing man.

  Working with Longtown Mountain Rescue Team, and colleagues from the SARA stations at Tewkesbury, Cotswolds and Upton, teams searched the nature reserve. SARA Lifeboat 3 was launched and conducted a search of the river, and the Police helicopter also joined the search.

  Sadly, after a period a body was discovered by one of the search parties in woodland below Wintours Leap. In liaison with the police, the body was retrieved from the woodland. A technical rope system, using our Larkin Frame, was set up and then used to recover it to the roadside.

  Our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the local man concerned.

  6th Jul 2024

  6th Jul 2024

• Saltwells 03-07-24

  We were once again contacted by West Midlands Police to assist with a missing person search in the Saltwells Nature Reserve area.

  After police investigation, the search area was narrowed down and crew from SARA Wyre Forest deployed to search a wooded section alongside our colleagues from West Mercia Search & Rescue.

  As crew were searching the woods, the missing gentleman was located safe and well by police at a near by address. Crews from both volunteer organisations stood down and returned home.

  3rd Jul 2024

  3rd Jul 2024

• Saltwells, Dudley 30-06-24

  We were contacted by West Midlands Police just after 11am to assist with a missing person investigation in the Saltwells Area of Dudley.
  Crew from Wyre Forest, Tewkesbury, West Mercia Search & Rescue and Staffordshire Search and Rescue Team were all enroute to assist when the missing lady was located and given assistance by the ambulance.

  All SAR assets were stood down and the volunteer crews resumed their Sundays.

  30th Jun 2024

  30th Jun 2024

• Newport 30-06-24

  Just after sunrise on Sunday morning, the SARA Newport lifeboat crew were tasked by Milford Haven Coastguard to assist with an incident on the River Usk.

  Due to the state of tide, Rescue 20 was deployed to allow for the shallower water with low tide being an hour away. Other assistants were also called upon to assist with the incident. However just as our crew arrived on the scene, the missing person was located onshore.

  30th Jun 2024

  30th Jun 2024

• Wintours Leap, Chepstow 29-06-24

  Towards the end of Saturday afternoon, our rope rescue team was called out to Wintours Leap. A climber had fallen a short distance in the area below The Broadwalk ledge, and initially thought he had broken a leg.

  This was a real multi-agency response, with HART paramedics quickly on scene together with a SARA doctor, the police closing the road, a Coastguard helicopter on standby and rope team leaders SARA and Fire working out the best solution. A lifeboat was initially tasked but it was very low tide in the Wye so this was stood down.
  Once he had been assessed and reassured, the casualty was able to walk, albeit slowly. A rope system was set up to support him, and the attendant helping him, to steadily ascend up ‘Easy Way Down’. From there he was assisted to the waiting ambulance. We wish him a speedy recovery.

  29th Jun 2024

  29th Jun 2024

• Cinderford 23-06-24

  At around 2330, the Land Search Team was requested by Gloucestershire Policeto support the search for a vulnerable elderly man on the eastern side of the Forest of Dean.

  Team members from SARA Tewkesbury, Cotswolds and Beachley were arriving on scene at around 0045 when the missing man was located safe by the Police.
  Many thanks to all who responded.

  23rd Jun 2024

  23rd Jun 2024

• Gloucester 07 & 08-06-24

  Yesterday (Friday) evening we were again called out by Gloucestershire Constabulary, at around 10pm, and asked to assist in a multi-agency search for a high risk missing person in an area to the north of Gloucester.

  SARA team members from our stations at Beachley, Sharpness, Tewkesbury, Wyre Forest, and Cotswolds all responded. We conducted searches along with the Police and Fire Service, supported by the Ambulance Service and the Coastguard Helicopter Rescue 187.

  In the early hours of this morning (Saturday), the missing person was located by the CG helicopter alive and well.

  8th Jun 2024

  8th Jun 2024

• Edgehills, Cinderford 06-06-23

  We were called out shortly after 1330 yesterday afternoon, to support Gloucestershire Police with a search for a vulnerable missing person in the Edgehills area of the Forest of Dean.

  Land search team members from SARA stations at Beachley, Tewkesbury, Upton and Cotswolds responded; the missing person was located safe by the police as our first crew were arriving at the RV. They were then checked over by a SARA team paramedic.

  6th Jun 2024

  6th Jun 2024

• Sedbury, Chepstow 25 & 26-05-21

  The week long river search at Chepstow reached its sad conclusion on Sunday morning.

  As we reported earlier the SARA Beachley team was deployed on Monday and Tuesday, along with colleagues from SARA Newport.

  On Thursday (23 May) the Beachley boats SARA Lifeboats 1 and 3 conducted a high water search of the River Wye up as far as Lancault.

  Then on Saturday (25 May) we arranged – together with the Police – to work with colleagues from Oxfordshire Search & Rescue to conduct a search with their dog trained specifically for water searches, and their advanced sonar.

  The search dog worked from our small boat Rescue 5, whilst SARA Lifeboat 3 supported an OxSAR boat which was conducting sonar searches. Extensive searches were conducted but nothing was found.

  Then just after 0700 on Sunday (26 May) we were paged by HM Coastguard to the area of St Pierre Pill, just downriver from the mouth of the Wye. SARA Lifeboats 1 and 3 were launched again, and working with Chepstow Coastguard retrieved the body which was handed over to the police and ambulance service.

  We are glad that we could help to bring this sad search to a conclusion, and our thoughts remain very much with the family and friends of the young man concerned.

  Many thanks to Lowland Rescue Oxfordshire for the support.

  26th May 2024

  26th May 2024