We were called out around 7pm  to support Gloucestershire Constabulary with a search for a high risk missing person in the Gloucester area.  Team members from Sharpness, Beachley, Tewkesbury and Cotswolds attended, and commenced searching areas of land and water – the latter both by water search teams on foot and by crew in two boats.Soon after we started, the missing lady was found by one of the SARA teams, safe and on land.  She was looked after by two of our RRMTs, together with police officers, and then handed over to the ambulance service.  Many thanks to all who responded.

Shortly after 4pm we received an immediate launch request, to a possible person in the water near the SDR Bridge. We launched SARA Lifeboat 14 ‘The Maureen Easton’ and were joined on the water by two South Wales Fire and Rescue Service vessels and by air from Wales Air Ambulance Charity & National Police Air Service HQ. With both Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust & HM Coastguard Chepstow providing shore based cover, this was a full multi agency tasking. Our first tasking was to an object in the water by Newport Docks, that turned out to be a large log. Given the outgoing tide SARA 14 then made way to the SDR Bridge re-tracing the Fire Service vessels initial search. After NPAS completed a final arial search and nothing was found SARA 14 was stood down, false alarm with good intent.

Just before midday the Coastguard  paged us in response to a report of an upturned kayak between the two Severn Bridges. SARA Lifeboat 1 launched and began a search pattern from an updated sighting near the POW M4 bridge. An upturned rowing boat was spotted just downstream of the bridge. Working with RNLI Portishead the vessel was righted and recovered onto SARA1. The Coastguard Helicopter Rescue 387 was also involved and conducted further searches, but it appeared the boat had been unoccupied.  Our lifeboat crew recovered the boat to Beachley and handed it over to HM Coastguard Chepstow.

The SARA land search team was called out to an area of the Forest of Dean, just south of Coleford, late on Thursday evening, to support Gloucestershire Constabulary searching for a high risk missing person.  Teams searched until the early hours Friday, and then resumed on Friday morning.  Team members from SARA Stations at Beachley, Tewkesbury and Cotswolds attended, along with colleagues from Avon & Somerset Search and Rescue, Longtown Mountain Rescue Team, Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group, Midlands Cave Rescue Organisation, and Search and Rescue Dog Association South WalesVery sadly, not long after midday on Friday, a body was located by one of the search teamsOur thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the young man concerned.  Many thanks to the staff at Puzzlewood for their hospitality during this difficult search.

We received a request for assistance during the early hours of this morning to support Gwent Police with an ongoing incident. We immediately launched SARA lifeboat 14 and navigated through shallow waters and darkness, making way to the incident location. As the lifeboat was standing by on scene, a person entered the water from height.The crew rescued the person from the water and provided first aid treatment before handing over to HM Coastguard Chepstow shore based medical teams.  We wish the person involved a speedy recovery.

Around 10.30pm we were called out to Stroud, to support Gloucestershire Constabulary searching for a high risk missing lady.Land Search teams from our SARA stations at Tewkesbury, Cotswolds and Beachley responded, along with a search dog team from Search and Rescue Dog Association South Wales.  They conducted detailed searches in the Stroud area, in hilly and wooded terrain in the dark of the night.  In the early hours one of the SARA parties located the missing lady safe and well, and she was handed into the care of the relevant agencies.  A great result!Many thanks to all who responded and to Topps Tiles for the use of their facilities.

The Land Search team was called out again just after lunchtime, to the Coleford area, to support Gloucestershire Police with a search for a missing man.Team members from SARA Stations at Beachley, Tewkesbury and Cotswolds responded, along with colleagues from Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group and Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service Coleford. They undertook detailed searches of areas to west of Coleford in very testing, hot conditions. Teams were stood down at nightfall with nothing having been found, with the intention of continuing the following (Wednesday) morning. However, the missing man was found safe later in the evening out of our search area. Grateful thanks to Andy & Maureen, owners of Greenacres Campsite for allowing us to use the site as the search base and for generously providing cold drinks for the searchers. Also to Whitecliff Off Road Centre for their help in providing a forward base.

Our land search team was called out this morning, to support Gloucestershire Police with the search for a high risk missing man in the area of Leckhampton Hill, near Cheltenham. Team members from SARA stations at Beachley, Tewkesbury, Cotswolds and Wyre Forest were called out, along with colleagues from Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group and a search dog & handler from Search and Rescue Dog Association (South Wales).Thankfully, as the first search parties were deploying from the RV, the missing man was located safe elsewhere by a member of the public.

At 00:28 this morning, our land search and water rescue teams were called to support Gwent Police and Gloucestershire Constabulary with an incident near Sedbury. Crews from the SARA stations at Beachley, Tewkesbury, Upton and Cotswolds were tasked. Thankfully the missing person was quickly spotted by a SARA team member and safely taken into the care of the police. The teams were stood down and crew could return home.

Just after midnight last night Maritime and Coastguard Agency paged us to support Avon and Somerset Police and South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust with an incident near Aust Rock. SARA Lifeboat 1 was launched and held position under the M48 Severn Bridge ready to assist. The incident was resolved successfully and SARA1 returned to station.

The SARA Beachley lifeboats were called out by the Coastguard this afternoon. Both SARA Lifeboats 1 and 3 were launched around 2pm, to search for a missing man. Initially they were tasked to search along the Severn, upriver from Beachley; subsequently they were re-tasked to search in the lower part of the Wye. Thankfully the man was then located safe and well ashore, and our crew was stood down. Both the lifeboat helms had hot-footed from Brockweir, where they were due to support the Tintern Duck Race. Thus it was left to some our inland boat crew to operate SARA Rescue 5, providing safety cover for both spectators and ducks along with a small fleet of kayaks. With the low river levels and slow current, the duck race was still in progress when the two helms returned to Tintern having been stood down, so they did not miss out entirely.

Lifeboat shout in the early hours - at 00.13. The Coastguard  tasked us to investigate a vessel near the A48 Wye Bridge on the River Wye in Chepstow, following concern expressed by a caller. We were just about to launch SARA  Lifeboat 1 when we were stood down as the vessel and crew were declared safe. SARA 1 and crew were put back to bed!

Search Teams were called out to Ross-on-Wye at around midday. Longtown Mountain Rescue Team requested our support with a search which they, and West Mercia Search & Rescue, were undertaking for West Mercia Police.Team members from our Beachley, Tewkesbury, Upton, Wyre Forest and Cotswolds Stations assembled at Ross Rowing Club. A series of land areas and sections of the River Wye were searched by SARA, the latter both by boat and on foot, whilst the other teams searched different areas. We were once again supported by Search and Rescue Dog Association South Wales. Sadly during one of our searches, the body of a man was discovered. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man concerned.Many thanks to all who attended and to Ross Rowing Club for the use of their facilities.

At approx 03:30, we were tasked to assist a vessel which had run aground and required assistance. Due to the extremely low tide, we launched our plastic boat which is used for inland waters such as ponds and lakes. We joined RNLI Penarth and South Wales Fire & Rescue Service to bring the incident to a close.

SARA Lifeboat 14 was tasked again this afternoon. This time to assist someone stuck in the mud.Thankfully the person was able to self extract prior to our arrival.

SARA Lifeboat 14 was tasked to reports of a vessel sinking with unknown occupants. We immediately launched and made way to the vessel’s last know position. Following a brief search, it was confirmed a false alarm with good intent.

Around 1730 the SARA Beachley Lifeboat Crew were called out by the Coastguard to a report of a person in the water in the area of the M48 Severn Bridge. SARA Lifeboat 1 was launched rapidly, with two paramedics from the Ambulance HART Team on board as well as the SARA crew.With the assistance of the Police helicopter, the person was located and rescued onto the lifeboat, and then taken to the slipway. By then the Great Western Air Ambulance had landed at Beachley and RNLI Portishead was also on scene. The person was attended to by a combined SARA, RNLI, Ambulance and Helicopter HEMS team, before being taken to hospital.We try to train with other local emergency services as much as we can, and regularly take HART team members out in our lifeboats. This was an excellent example of all that multi-agency training demonstrating its value on a callout. Many thanks to all who responded.

The SARA Land and Rope Teams were called out to support Gwent Police with a search for a missing man at Wyndcliff in the Wye Valley, just north of Chepstow. Longtown Mountain Rescue Team were committed elsewhere.Team members from our stations at Beachley, Tewkesbury and Cotswolds deployed, and we were also supported by members of Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group and Search and Rescue Dog Association South Wales. Starting at 1030, the teams searched a large and complex area comprising serious cliffs, sloping overgrown and rocky woodland and open fields. Thankfully, at around 1930 as thoughts were turning to where to search the following day, the missing man was found safe and well a few km away from our search area. A small SARA party, including one of our paramedics, attended until police officers could arrive. A great result. Many thanks to all who attended or supported the search in other ways.

Shortly before 1am, we were requested by Wiltshire Search and Rescue to support a search in the River Thames at Buscot Lock, near Lechlade.A water search team comprising members of SARA's Sharpness and Tewkesbury Stations was deployed at once, and this morning they were joined by a team from SARA Wyre Forest with a Sonar unit. Searches were undertaken using both inflatable sleds and a boat as platforms; multiple other agencies were also involved, including specialist dogs.Very sadly this afternoon a body was located by police divers.Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man concerned.

At around 0030 this morning we were called out to Andoversford, east of Cheltenham, to support Gloucestershire Constabulary with a search for a missing young lady.Land search teams from SARA Tewkesbury, Cotswolds, Beachley and Wyre Forest plus a water team from SARA Sharpness attended, along with assets from Gloucestershire fire and rescue service and a Search and Rescue Dog Association South Wales search dog.Around 0500 the young lady was spotted on the edge of a search area by one of our teams, and assisted pending the arrival of police officers and family. A great result! Many thanks to all who attended.

Just after 4am this morning we were requested by Gloucestershire Constabulary to support a search for a missing young man in the Nailsworth area. One of our Search Controllers had a planning meeting with police, and the SARA Land Search Team was tasked around 5.45am. Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group and Search and Rescue Dog Association South Wales were also requested to support. Thankfully as the first team members were arriving at the RV, the missing person was found safe. Many thanks to all who responded.