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.

• 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

• River Severn Dog Rescue 14-01-22

  At 1632hrs SARA Sharpness received a page from Milford Haven Coastguard tasking us to assist with the rescue of a stranded dog, cut off by the tide on Longley Sands.
  After arriving on scene with HM Coastguard Chepstow and Portishead, we were briefed as to the location of the dog. We could not see the dog through the pitch black and dense fog but it could be heard across the river.

  After an unsuccessful wade, due to tide height and flow, we deployed a downstream rescue boat before trying again with our rescue raft. When the boat was in place, we paddled across and were guided to the dogs position using a thermal imaging scope from one of our crew.

  Fortunately, Lola, the beautiful black Pointer, came straight to us and we recovered her back to her very grateful owners in the raft. Lola is doing really well and is enjoying a nice warm fire and sausages for tea! Awesome result team

  14th Jan 2022

  14th Jan 2022

• Robinswood Hill 13-01-22

  Not long after the Cleeve Hill search had been stood down, whilst most crew were still on their return journey, Gloucestershire Police tasked us to a second search, for a missing girl in the Robinswood area of Gloucester. The SARA teams from Beachley, Wyre Forest, Tewkesbury and Cotswolds were again joined by members of GCRG and searched a large area of Robinswood Hill. Thankfully, around 11pm the police announced that the missing girl had been found safe elsewhere and the teams were stood down.
  We are grateful to the Gloucester Robinswood Hotel for their hospitality

  13th Jan 2022

  13th Jan 2022

• Cleeve Hill 13-01-22

  We were tasked to support a missing person search on Cleeve Hill. Members of SARA’s Beachley, Tewkesbury, Cotswolds and Wyre Forest teams were joined by colleages from Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group (GCRG) and a search dog from Serve-On. They searched until daylight was lost at 5pm, at which point they were stood down with nothing having been found. This search remains ongoing and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the missing man concerned.

  13th Jan 2022

  13th Jan 2022

• Newport 28-12-21

  SARA Newport was called out at 11.30pm, requested by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service to support an on going incident on the River Usk.
  As the team prepared to launch SARA Lifeboat 14 ‘The Maureen Easton’ they were stood down as the lady concerned had been located safe and well elsewhere. The guys could return back to Malpas and at 1am turn everything around ready for next time.

  28th Dec 2021

  28th Dec 2021

• Sandwell Valley 24-12-21

  Shortly before 2pm, we received a request from West Midlands Police to assist with a missing person investigation.
  SARA Wyre Forest crew were assisted by fellow volunteer crews from SARA Tewkesbury, Staffordshire Search and Rescue Team, West Mercia Search & Rescue and Warwickshire Search and Rescue.
  Thankfully, the missing gentleman was located shortly after nightfall, after having been assisted by colleagues from West Midlands Ambulance Service.
  A huge thank you goes out to all crew who left their families on Christmas Eve to attend this callout and will now make it home prior to Santa visiting later on.

  24th Dec 2021

  24th Dec 2021