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.

• Floods 13-02-24

  A flood rescue team from each of SARA Tewkesbury and Sharpness Stations were both tasked to conduct welfare checks of residents in Gloucestershire whose properties had become surrounded by flood water.

  This included the evacuation of several residents, as well as transporting vital supplies and medication to those who could not leave their home.

  13th Feb 2024

  13th Feb 2024

• River Severn Beachley 11-02-24

  SARA 1 Lifeboat 1 launched to return a drifting tender (recovered on a previous callout) to its owner at Thornbury Sailing Club. The owner thanked us with a donation to the launch tractor appeal.

  Once clear of Thornbury Sailing Club SARA1 headed to Narlwood navigation marks for local area familiarisation. One of the crew spotted something in the water in line with the Inward Rocks transit lights. On investigation it was found to be a jet ski hull. The crew informed HM Coastguard Milford of our find and took the vessel under tow to be handed over to Chepstow coastguard officers at Beachley slipway.

  It turned out to be a 1970’s prototype of a sea scooter built by Reliant motor company

  11th Feb 2024

  11th Feb 2024

• River Severn Beachley 07-02-24

  This afternoon the SARA lifeboats were tasked by HM Coastguard to help the yacht that had grounded on Monday to refloat on the high tide.

  SARA Lifeboat 3 from Beachley provided initial safety cover, and SARA Lifeboat 2 from Sharpness arrived to tow the boat back to its mooring in Thornbury Pill. They also helped to recover one of the yacht’s anchors.

  This was the first tasking for newly appointed helm Mary Miller, and the first tasking with a female in command of a lifeboat in the history of SARA.
  Well done to all concerned and congratulations to Mary!

  7th Feb 2024

  7th Feb 2024

• Wordsely 05-02-24

  L and crew from SARA Wyre Forest, SARA Tewkesbury and SARA Upton deployed around lunchtime to support West Mercia Search & Rescue and Staffordshire Search and Rescue Team with an ongoing missing person investigation for West Midlands Police in the Wordsely area.

  Crews searched until light was lost and they were stood down with nothing found. Warwickshire Search and Rescue were also in attendance.

  It was confirmed the following day that the missing gentleman was safely located earlier today!

  5th Feb 2024

  5th Feb 2024

• Mickleton 05-02-24

  SARA Land Search Teams were called out around 0800, to assist Gloucestershire constabulary with an operation in the northern part of the County. Members of SARA Stations at Beachley, Tewkesbury, Cotswolds and Wyre Forest responded, along with colleagues from WMSAR, WarksSAR, OxSAR, MCRO and SARDA SW.

  As the first of the volunteer responders were arriving at the RV, the incident was concluded by the Police and the SAR teams were stood down.

  5th Feb 2024

  5th Feb 2024

• Beachley 04-02-24

  Shortly after midday, we were asked us to respond to a report of a grounded vessel, on the Severn near Thornbury sailing club, with 5 people on board.

  One of our Newport based boats, SARA Lifeboat 14, was already training in the area, near Sharpness, with Newport’s smaller Rescue 20 also on the water. They asked Beachley based SARA Lifeboat 1 to assist, in case more power and capacity was needed.

  SARA 14 used its shallower draft to take a tow line from the casualty vessel – a yacht – out into deeper water. SARA 1 attempted a tow. Unfortunately the yacht’s keel was stuck fast in the mud so the decision was made to anchor the yacht awaiting the next higher tide. A shore based HM Coastguard crew met the yacht’s occupants and walked them across the mud to safety.

  4th Feb 2024

  4th Feb 2024

• River Severn POW Bridge 02-02-24

  Late in the afternoon, HM Coastguard asked us to respond to a report from Gwent police about an object seen in the River Severn, about 100m downstream of the POW bridge.

  A crew of 3 launched SARA Lifeboat 3 at dusk, at low tide and in fading light. On arriving at the search area they picked their way carefully through rocks and very shallow water to get as near as possible to the object. Because of the shallow water it wasn’t possible to get the boat close enough to the reported location. HM Coastguard deployed one of their drones to the search area.

  The lifeboat crew was then tasked to a low water search of the banks of the River Wye up to Chepstow castle. With nothing found they were stood down and returned to Beachley station.

  A National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter later identified the object as a large rock 🪨 This seems to have been the result of a report made with good intentions.
  This was the first operational shout for one new crew member – well done Tyler and the rest of the crew.

  2nd Feb 2024

  2nd Feb 2024

• Bridgenorth 20-01-24

  Boat crew from SARA Wyre Forest launched onto the River Severn in Bridgnorth supporting colleagues from West Mercia Search and Rescue with an ongoing missing person search for West Mercia Police.

  With the river at its lowest level for the last few weeks, crew launched in Bridgnorth and made their way downstream searching along both river banks and any point of interest before recovering the boat in Arley with nothing found.

  While the crew were out, they did come across a member of the public who was having engine troubles on their boat, so they were quickly taken alongside and towed to their recovery point.

  20th Jan 2024

  20th Jan 2024

• Grear Barr, Birmingham 19-01-24

  Land Search crew from SARA Wyre Forest & SARA Upton deployed to assist West Midlands Police with an ongoing missing person search in the Grear Barr area of Birmingham, we also asked colleagues from Midlands Cave Rescue to assist. West Mercia Search and Rescue, Warwickshire Search and Rescue & Leicestershire Search and Rescue were also in attendance.

  Shortly after deploying into their initial search area, the mixed SARA and MCRO search team received new intel and quickly redeployed and successfully managed to locate the missing young man alongside a colleague from WMSAR.

  After being checked over by one of our cas carers, and spoken to by police, he was reunited with his family.

  This was a multi day search effort with Cheshire Search and Rescue and Staffordshire Search and Rescue also in attendance on previous days.

  This was another great example of multiple agencies working together resulting in a very successful outcome.

  19th Jan 2024

  19th Jan 2024

• Tewkesbury & Gloucester Floods 08-01-24

  One of SARA’s flood rescue teams, from SARA Sharpness Station, was deployed again today (Monday), to conduct welfare checks and a house evacuation in the Gloucester area. A team from SARA Sharpness has been out in the Gloucester area each day since Thursday. We also deployed a flood rescue team from SARA Tewkesbury on Thursday and Friday, in the Tewkesbury area and later near Tirley.

  Our volunteers have carried out numerous evacuations of residents from flooded homes – both people and their pets (4 cats from one house), and in one case having to first take a translator as the evacuees were refugees from overseas. We have conducted welfare checks and taken in supplies to those who cannot leave.

  We have worked alongside colleagues from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, social services, parish councils and Gloucestershire County Council to support residents.

  8th Jan 2024

  8th Jan 2024