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 Lydney 12-12-24

  At 1543hrs, the were called out to launch and locate a sailing yacht in the vicinity of Lydney Docks, following reports by a member of public that someone was in difficulty aboard.
  SARA Lifeboats 2 and 4 were launched from SARA Sharpness, and made best speed to the location, where a yacht was located attached to a mooring with no persons on board.

  A search of the vessel and surrounding area was conducted, but with nothing found, and no evidence suggesting anyone had been on board the vessel, the crew were stood down.
  It is believed to have been a call with good intent.

  12th Dec 2024

  12th Dec 2024

• Kenilworth 07-12-24

  We were asked to assist Warwickshire Search and Rescue, West Mercia Search & Rescue, Northamptonshire Search and Rescue and Warwickshire Police to help search 3 large areas in Kenilworth in the hope of finding a missing man. A land search team from SARA Wyre Forest Station attended.

  The day’s search was eventually stood down, with nothing having been found.

  7th Dec 2024

  7th Dec 2024

• Newport 05-12-24

  Around 2145 we had a request from Gwent Police to assist officers on Town Bridge, Newport who had concerns for a male’s welfare.
  SARA Lifeboat 14 requested to launch and provide safety cover, but was stood down en route as the incident had been resolved by police.

  5th Dec 2024

  5th Dec 2024

• River Severn Beachley 03-12-24

  We were paged this morning at 4:30 am to conduct a search of the Severn in the area of the M48 Severn Bridge. Both SARA Beachley Lifeboats 1 and 3 were launched and commenced a search.

  Sister station SARA Sharpness also came to readiness and then launched their SARA Lifeboats 2 and 4. In addition, RNLI Portishead also launched their lifeboat and joined the search, along with the Coastguard and Police helicopters and both Chepstow and Portishead Coastguard Rescue Teams [which need tagging].

  Searches continued until around 9 am when we were stood down, with nothing having been found. Our thoughts are with the family concerned.

  3rd Dec 2024

  3rd Dec 2024

• Newport River Usk 01-12-24

  Request from HM Coastguard at 1430 to undertake another search at low water for a sunken vessel which could cause a navigation hazard to other vessels. SARA lifeboat was 14 brought to readiness with crew searching shoreside.
  Nothing found, stood down 1730

  1st Dec 2024

  1st Dec 2024

• Newport River Usk 30-11-24

  Request from HM Coastguard at 1445 to assist a sinking vessel, last seen in the River Usk at Newport. In parallel with the ongoing search in the Ebbw, SARA lifeboat 14 launched and made way to last known position. Nothing located, search carried out upstream with nothing found. We were stood down 1545
  Vessel believed to be sub service.

  30th Nov 2024

  30th Nov 2024

• Newport River Ebbw 28 to 30-11-24

  In the evening of Thurs 28 Nov we were requested by Gwent Police to search tidal section of the River Ebbw using SARA lifeboat 14, and to search deep pools within the non tidal section of the river using our swift water rescue team. Both units stood down prior to midnight with nothing found.
  On Fri 29 Nov we conducted a continuation search of the River Ebbw, deploying swiftwater rescue teams and inflatable rafts. Stood down with nothing found. Beachley station crew also assisted during this tasking.
  Again on Sat 30 Nov, a further continuation search of the River Ebbw, deploying swiftwater rescue teams and inflatable rafts. Stood down with nothing found. Beachley station crew also assisted during this tasking.

  30th Nov 2024

  30th Nov 2024

• Sandhurst Lane, Gloucester 29-11-24

  This morning, the Sharpness SRT crew received a request to assist a resident of Sandhurst Lane in Gloucester with leaving their property which was surrounded by flood water.
  SARA Mobile 7 was deployed with two SRT crew, both of which are also off-road qualified drivers to collect the resident from their property and transfer them through the flood water to onward transport.
  With the tasking complete, crew were back on station at 1445hrs.

  29th Nov 2024

  29th Nov 2024

• Storm Bert Floods 24-11-24

  On Sun 24 Nov, as a result of Storm Bert, the River Monnow rose dramatically and around midday exceeded its highest previously recorded level at Grosmont. Shortly thereafter South Wales Fire & Rescue Service called us for support. This became a long evening of very effective multi-agency working.

  Flood teams from each of SARA Newport and Beachley made their way initially to Monmouth Fire Station, from where operations were being controlled. The SARA Newport team was then deployed to Skenfrith, which was flooding badly. Using their inflatable sled they evacuated 16 people and a dog from properties in Skenfrith.

  Once complete, they were tasked to assistant the Ambulance Service & Longtown MRT accessing a patient for medical assessment, before evacuating the patient and a further 10 people from a property. Whilst the SARA team were making way through the pitch black and flooded country lane, they came across a minibus with its driver stranded on its bonnet. The team split up; one part proceeding to the original tasking and the other assisting the driver to a place of safety. The second part then joined the other at the target property originally targetted, where the Fire Service had arrived to help. All agencies worked together to bring this incident to a swift close.

  The Newport team were then requested to report back to Monmouth for a further tasking but were stood down en-route.

  Meanwhile the SARA Beachley Flood Team was teamed up with a fire service team, and sent to Rockfield village to check on residents. Everyone there was found to be safe but water in the Monnow was rising very quickly and overtopping the banks. They moved onto second property at Monnow Valley studios, where river water was coming through the drains. The occupants were using their own pump to try and combat it. FRS supplied an additional pump and called for a further one. FRS returned to Rockfield to pick up residents at the bridge as the bridge was in danger of being washed away. The SARA team rejoined the Fire team to return to Monmouth Fire Station, however their way (Rockfield Road) was impassable by this time so they had to return via Abergavenny, arriving back in Monmouth around 1900.

  By then another SARA flood team, comprising members of SARA Beachley and Tewkesbury, had assembled. They took the powered boat Rescue Boat 5 to Osbaston, and deployed along with a firefighter to evacuate a lady from a house on Forge Road, very close to the now raging River Monnow.

  In the next phase, the original SARA Beachley Team, with 2 extra crew from SARA Tewkesbury, were sent to check on occupants of Monmouth Caravan Park, not far from the Fire Station. All were well but 2 people wanted to be evacuated. A water team from Longtown Mountain Rescue assisted to get the pair over the flood water. Then the SARA team, with its inflatable sled, was sent to transport a food delivery in the Rockfield Road area, following which they use the sled to moved a number of local residents over the flooded section of Rockfield Rd at the junction with Watery Lane. At the same time, the team with Rescue 5 was transporting residents along Watery Lane so that they could get home; Watery Lane was deep enough that the engine could be used for about 300m.

  A fourth SARA flood team from SARA Sharpness was also called in. Arriving around 1900, they conducted welfare checks on residents along Hadnock Rd, close to the Wye, which had also flooded.

  South Wales Fire Service provided copious qualities of very welcome pizza when teams returned back to Monmouth Fire Station, and the volunteer teams were stood down from Monmouth around 2130.

  The flood teams from SARA Sharpness and SARA Tewkesbury were then tasked to Yate, in South Gloucestershire, which was badly flooded. Again they conducted welfare checks on flooded households in Yate and the surrounding area, at times using a powered boat on flooded lanes. Some of the team members involved did not get home until 0430 on Monday morning.

  SARA volunteers spend a lot of time training in flood rescue, as technicians and as boat operators, and we have our own R3 instructors for both areas who help to maintain the standards. The recent flood rescue training at Cardiff White Water Centre paid dividends, with familiar faces from other agencies being recognised at Monmouth as well as skills recently refreshed. Many thanks to all concerned for a successful evening.

  24th Nov 2024

  24th Nov 2024

• River Wye Chepstow 15 & 16-11-24

  On Friday afternoon (15 Nov) Gwent Police asked for our assistance in a search on the River Wye for a high risk vulnerable male who was missing from home. We launched SARA Lifeboats 1 and 3 in response. After extensive searches of the river, the lifeboats were stood down just after 19.00.
  On Saturday (16 Nov) SARA Lifeboat 3 was launched at 0900 to continue the search of the River Wye at mid to low tide, and on the River Severn as far as the POW Bridge.

  Later in the morning, Rescue Boat 5 was launched at Bigsweir to conduct a low water search of the Wye all the way down to the mouth. Chepstow and Portishead Coastguard Rescue Teams conducted shoreline searches including with their drones.

  Nothing was found in any of the searches, which were stood down in the late afternoon. Our thoughts are with the missing person and their family.

  16th Nov 2024

  16th Nov 2024