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.

• Highnam Woods 28-03-22

  We were contacted by Gloucestershire Constabulary at 1745, and tasked to a missing person search at Highnam Woods, to the west of Gloucester. Teams from SARA Tewkesbury, Beachley and Cotswolds were called out, along with colleagues from Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group and the Search and Rescue Dog Association (South Wales).

  Whilst we were all en route, at 1830, we learned that the missing person had been located and was with the police, so we were stood down.

  28th Mar 2022

  28th Mar 2022

• River Severn M4 SSC 28-03-22

  At 1500 SARA Beachley lifeboat crew were called out by the Coastguard. Both SARA Lifeboats 1 and 3 were launched, and searched upstream from the M4 Second Severn Crossing, up the Severn to Oldbury and the Wye as far as Chepstow. RNLI Portishead were also tasked to the search.

  With nothing having been found, we were stood down around 1645.

  28th Mar 2022

  28th Mar 2022

• M4 Second Severn Crossing 25-03-22

  SARA Lifeboat 3 was launched a little before 0630, to support a Gwent Police operation close to the M4 Second Severn Crossing. The Coastguard helicopter was also deployed. The lifeboat was recovered back at Beachley around 0730.

  The police have subsequently confirmed that this incident sadly resulted in a fatality. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man concerned.

  25th Mar 2022

  25th Mar 2022

• Stourport 24-03-22

  Just after 10pm (just as the crew had cleaned down and prepped the boat after a Thursday evening boat training session), we were alerted to an incident on the River Severn in Stourport by Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service. The crew quickly got re-kitted, launched the boat and made best speed to the area.

  Crews were stood down just after midnight once the incident was resolved with everyone safe and well and were able to return home around 2am

  24th Mar 2022

  24th Mar 2022

• Newport 05-03-22

  SARA Lifeboat 14 was prepared for launch this morning, to assist Gwent Police with a missing person search in the Usk in Newport. Thankfully the person was confirmed safe prior to our launch and we were stood down whilst en route.

  5th Mar 2022

  5th Mar 2022

• River Severn Flooding 26-02-22 (Tewkesbury)

  Just before 10am, SARA Tewkesbury received a request for help from the owner of a 60ft, wide beam barge, which had come adrift from its mooring during the flooding in Tewkesbury.
  SARA Upton was requested to assist with recovery of the barge and deployed 3 crew to Tewkesbury, arriving at the RV point at 11.00 am.
  Crewed by the joint team, SARA Tewkesbury rescue boats 16 & 17 were launched at 11.20 and proceeded to the location of the stranded barge. On arrival, it was clear that the barge was in a precarious location with its stern positioned over a wall, submerged by the flood water, which would have caused serious damage, as well as a recovery headache had the water level dropped further.
  SARA 16 & 17 took the boat under tow and skillfully manoeuvered it some 200 yards downstream and secured it on a safe mooring by 11.54.
  The rescue boats were recovered and the combined Upton/Tewkesbury crew was stood down, returning to SARA Tewkesbury station shortly after 12 noon.

  26th Feb 2022

  26th Feb 2022

• River Severn Flooding 24-02-22 (Bewdley)

  A SARA flood team was again deployed today to (a rather snowy) Bewdley in support of Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, to provide welfare checks to residents. This was our fourth consecutive day of flood deployments. Whilst there they had the opportunity to meet Rebecca Pow MP, Minister for Nature Recovery and the Domestic Environment, to discuss the flood response and our challenges.

  Stood down from Bewdley around 2.30pm, en route back to Tewkesbury they were tasked to another welfare check in Gloucestershire; thankfully that was also completed quickly and then they could properly return to base to turn the kit around.

  24th Feb 2022

  24th Feb 2022

• River Severn Flooding 23-02-22 (Bewdley and Upton)

  On Wednesday SARA deployed two flood teams to a flooded Bewdley during the day to conduct welfare checks of residents. Later in the afternoon another flood team was deployed in Upton upon Severn, also to conduct welfare checks. All teams were stood down shortly after 8.30pm

  23rd Feb 2022

  23rd Feb 2022

• River Severn Flooding 22-02-22

  On Tuesday we deployed one small team to a flooded area just outside Tewkesbury, and worked with Vale Wildlife Hospital to rescue a swan trapped in netting.

  On Tuesday night we again had 4 flood teams on standby across our area.

  22nd Feb 2022

  22nd Feb 2022

• River Severn Flooding 21-02-22 (Melverley)

  On Monday we deployed two powered flood boat teams – comprising crew from our stations at Wyre Forest, Upton and Tewkesbury – to Melverley in Shropshire. They were able to rescue people from two flooded locations and bring them back to dry land.

  On Monday evening we were asked by the national flood coordinators for our availability and were able to offer 4 teams to be available if required.

  21st Feb 2022

  21st Feb 2022