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 Wales.

Very sadly, not long after midday on Friday, a body was located by one of the search teams. Our 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.