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.

• Marshfield, Newport 19-09-24

  Just as Thursday evening training sessions across SARA finished, the pagers sounded. We were called out to support Gwent Police with reports of two children who were lost on the shoreline near to the coastal path. This triggered a multi agency response including the police helicopter, HM Coastguard shore based search teams and swift water rescue teams from both SARA and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service. SARA Beachley and Sharpness teams were tasked as well as SARA Newport.
  Thankfully after deploying into our initial search areas, we were stood down following reports that the children were safe and well, and in a very different location.

  19th Sep 2024

  19th Sep 2024

• Newport River Usk 19-09-24

  During the early hours we were tasked to support HM Coastguard Chepstow with an incident on the River Usk at Newport. The tide was very low with just 30cm of water underneath the boat on occasion.

  We were stood down shortly afterwards, as the incident was resolved by on scene police officers.

  19th Sep 2024

  19th Sep 2024

• Sharpness 07-09-24

  The SARA Sharpness Lifeboat Crew was called out shortly before 11am, to investigate a suspicious object seen by Police off Sharpness at 1053.

  SARA Lifeboat 2 was launched to investigate. They recovered a pink cushion with a red robin on it.

  Better safe than sorry. Well done all.

  7th Sep 2024

  7th Sep 2024

• Brockworth, Glos 28 to 30-08-24

  On Wednesday evening (28 Aug), SARA Land Search crew from Beachley, Tewkesbury, Cotswolds and Upton were deployed to the Brockworth area of Gloucestershire to assist Gloucestershire Constabulary with a search for a missing lady.
  Following an extensive search throughout the night, nothing was found and the teams were stood down.

  On Thursday morning (29 Aug), teams were deployed back to Brockworth to recommence the search, which took place throughout the day and into the evening. With still nothing found, teams were again stood down.

  On Friday evening (30 Aug), at approximately 1900hrs, the teams were deployed again, this time to search the area of Robinswood Hill. Whilst this search was taking place, a positive sighting of the missing person was reported by a member of the public. Alongside officers from Gloucestershire Police, a SARA team, including one of our doctors, were deployed to assist with extracting the missing lady from her location and handed over to onward care.

  A positive outcome to an extensive search, involving members from most of our stations, for consecutive days.
  A big thank you goes out to the Toby Carvery for their generous support in providing hospitality to our crew over the duration of the search.
  An additional thanks is also extended to our neighbouring SAR teams Search and Rescue Dog Association South Wales, Wiltshire Search and Rescue and Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group for their support to the search.

  30th Aug 2024

  30th Aug 2024

• River Severn Beachley 25-08-24

  Our lifeboat crew was called out around 1130, as a member of the public reported a boat , possibly in distress, just south of the M4 POW Bridge. As SARA Lifeboat 2 was already on the water, preparing for the SARA Sharpness Open Day activities, she was sent to investigate. After searching for a period she was stood down with nothing having been found.

  SARA Lifeboat 3 was also on standby at Beachley to assist. As they were getting ready to depart the station to go home, a small fishing vessel was seen to be launching from the slipway with a family of 4 adults and young toddler on board. Due to the challenging weather conditions, two of the lifeboat crew remained to ensure all was well.

  The fishing boat engine failed shortly after launching and the boat drifted into the sheltered area beside the slipway. The SARA Lifeboat crew put their lifeboat gear back on and prepared to launch SARA Lifeboat 3, at which point the family had managed to restart the engine and were recovering to the slipway.

  The lifeboat crew had a discussion with the family about the weather conditions and the boat was recovered to the trailer and driven away by road shortly after.

  25th Aug 2024

  25th Aug 2024

• Newport 25-08-24

  The SARA Newport crew was called shortly after midnight, to attend an incident near Newport city centre where a person was at risk of entering the River Usk.

  Supporting South Wales Fire and Rescue Service & HM Coastguard Chepstow, SARA Lifeboat 14 was launched. The person was later reported safe on land.

  25th Aug 2024

  25th Aug 2024

• Newport 18-08-24

  Just after 0030, SARA Newport was tasked by Gwent Police to assist South Wales Fire and Rescue Service. A lady was in the mud on the River Usk in Newport, in the vicinity of the Wave/Riverside Theatre. As the team were arriving at the slipway, the incident was resolved by the Fire Service and all units were stood down.

  18th Aug 2024

  18th Aug 2024

• Edgehills, Forest of Dean 17-08-24

  We were called out at 0930 for a missing male, who had phoned the police as he had become lost in the ‘Forest of Dean’ and was unable to find his way back to his car, and was feeling unwell.

  The police had located his car near Edgehills Nature Reserve. Whilst our land search team was deploying, the missing man presented himself at hospital and we were subsequently stood down.

  17th Aug 2024

  17th Aug 2024

• Beachley 15-08-24

  Shortly before midnight the SARA Beachley team was called out, initially by the Coastguard, to support a search for a high risk missing man at Beachley.

  SARA Lifeboat 3 was launched and searched the area of Chapel Rock, just after low tide, and then the area upstream of Beachley. Other Beachley crew conducted a search of the shoreline, together with HM Coastguard Chepstow, and in liaison with Gloucestershire Constabulary, our Land Search team was deployed to cover an area of the foreshore at Beachley.

  Thankfully around 0145 the missing man was located by the Coastguard, safe and well, and the SARA teams were stood down. This included colleagues from SARA Tewkesbury and Cotswolds Stations, whose support had been requested and who were stood down en route.

  15th Aug 2024

  15th Aug 2024

• River Severn Lydney 10-08-24

  Shortly before 1400, the SARA Sharpness lifeboat crew received an immediate tasking from Milford Haven Coastguard to launch, locate and assist a vessel aground on the River Severn between Sharpness and Lydney.

  SARA Lifeboat 4 launched and whilst conducting the search, received a second tasking to locate an overdue Sailing Dinghy.

  Shortly after, the crew located both a Sailing Dinghy and a Powerboat aground on the sands near Lydney with a total of 7 persons on board. It was confirmed that these vessels were both the overdue dinghy, and the grounded vessel.

  The vessels anchors were set, with a plan to relaunch on the evening tide and recover them back to shore. All crew were transported to Lydney Docks and handed over to HM Coastguard Chepstow.

  At 2100hrs, the SARA Sharpness crew launched again, recovered the anchored vessels and towed them back to shore for recovery.

  10th Aug 2024

  10th Aug 2024