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.

• Gloucester 10 & 11-05-25

  The SARA Land Search Team was called out late Saturday evening, to support Gloucestershire Police with a search for a missing lady in the south-east part of Gloucester. With nothing having been found, the team was stood down around 2am.

  We commenced the search again on Sunday morning, with police officers also searching areas of the city. Team members from SARA Beachley, Tewkesbury and Cotswolds attended, along with colleagues from Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group and Wiltshire Search and Rescue, and SARA Wyre Forest were also en route.
  Thankfully during the afternoon the lady concerned was found safe, and taken to hospital by the police.

  A great result from a good team effort. Many thanks to all who responded, and to the Police for providing the very welcome refreshments.

  11th May 2025

  11th May 2025

• River Severn, Aust 05-05-25

  Just before midnight, the Coastguard Agency paged us to attend following reports of a person stuck in the mud near the old ferry slip near Aust. As the tide was coming in this was a very risky situation. SARA Lifeboat 1 was being launched when we got the good news that the person had managed to self recover and was being looked after by the Ambulance Service.

  5th May 2025

  5th May 2025

• Newport River Usk 02-05-25

  We were requested by Gwent Police to launch to a person in the water in the River Usk near the M4 Bridge (Bryn Glass Tunnels).

  We launched SARA 14 ‘The Maureen Easton’ and provided support for South Wales Fire & Rescue Service, who had been able to launch their smaller vessel near St Julian’s. SWFRS worked with the Police to safely recover the person from the water.

  2nd May 2025

  2nd May 2025

• River Severn Beachley 01-01-25

  We were called out at 11.04, to attend a situation with a female on the wrong side of railings on the M48 Bridge.

  Crew members arrived at Beachley station to prepare a boat launch, but were stood down at 11.16 as the police had dealt with the situation.

  1st May 2025

  1st May 2025

• Caldicot 05-04-25

  Shortly before 3pm on Saturday we were called out by Gwent Police to Caldicot, to recover the body of a man who had been reported missing and then sadly found deceased.
  Team members from SARA Beachley and Newport were joined by those from Longtown Mountain Rescue Team. Our thoughts are with the friends and family of the man concerned.

  Thanks to all who responded.

  5th Apr 2025

  5th Apr 2025

• River Severn Beachley 30-03-25

  At 1735 we were asked us to attend a situation on the Prince of Wales Bridge. Crew from SARA Beachley responded but whilst they were readying SARA Lifeboat 3 for launch, the individual was safely taken into the care of Avon and Somerset Police and we were stood down.

  30th Mar 2025

  30th Mar 2025

• River Severn – Northington, Newnham 09-03-25

  Shortly before 0930, we received a request from Gloucestershire Constabulary to assist with the recovery of a body which had been located near the village of Northington in Gloucestershire.
  A team from SARA Sharpness worked closely with Police Officers, as well as our colleagues from HM Coastguard Chepstow to conduct a dignified recovery of the young man.

  Our thoughts are with the man’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time.

  9th Mar 2025

  9th Mar 2025

• River Severn Sharpness 05-03-25

  At 1012hrs we received an immediate tasking from HM Coastguard to assist a vessel that had fouled its propellor just outside of Sharpness dock.

  SARA Lifeboats 2 and 4 were launched from SARA Sharpness to assist the vessel, which had correctly deployed its anchor and was holding steady in the flooding tide. Given the weight of the vessel, the lifeboats then waited for slacker water before commencing an alongside tow into Lydney dock.

  With the vessel safely moored in the dock basin, both lifeboats were then recovered and readied for service again, shortly before 1200hrs.

  5th Mar 2025

  5th Mar 2025

• Chippenham 28-02 to 03-03-25

  Over the weekend we have been supporting our colleagues at Wiltshire Search and Rescue with a large search in the Chippenham area.

  We were first tasked just after 4pm on Friday, and deployed a boat & team from SARA Sharpness. On Saturday we again deployed a boat team from Sharpness, plus both land and water teams from SARA Beachley, Cotswolds, and Tewkesbury. Then on Sunday we deployed land and water teams from SARA Sharpness and Beachley Stations. A Sharpness boat team was deployed again on Monday.

  At this time the search remains ongoing. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the missing young man.

  3rd Mar 2025

  3rd Mar 2025

• River Severn Beachley 01-03-25

  We were called out during the morning to a report of a dolphin stranded at Aust, witnessed by someone passing over Prince of Wales Bridge heading east.

  SARA Lifeboat 3 was launched. The lifeboat deployed crew who searched the high ground while lifeboat did waterline. Whilst there we met two marine medics who had also ventured onto Aust rock to look for the dolphin. A couple of our Land search crew view from the bridge and reported, as did Chepstow Coastguard.

  No sign of a dolphin. The boat was tasked to investigate a floating object, which was some form of cupboard.

  False alarm, probably with good intentions

  1st Mar 2025

  1st Mar 2025