Avon & Somerset Search & Rescue

07 ASC Log No. 1014.  The police contacted ASSARs Search and Rescue Incident Controller at 00:28 hrs to request assistance with a search for a missing high risk vulnerable male, in the Portishead area. A bicycle belonging to the male had been found near the top of a quarry, in woodland close to police HQ. The team was called out to RV at Police HQ.  The male was located by police and taken to hospital in Bristol.  The team was stood down at 01:28

06 The team was contacted by staff at Cheddar Gorge and Caves, notifying us that a dog and it’s female owner were on the cliffs in the Shute Gully area of Cheddar Gorge. The police were notified, and ASSARs Tech team placed on Standby. The Cheddar Gorge rock safety team accessed the female and recovered her to a place of safety (with her dog).  The team was stood down.

05 Assistance was requested by Exmoor Search and Rescue, to help locate a high risk 32 year old male in the Taunton area of Somerset. The team was put on ‘standby’, but the police found evidence that the male was alive and on the move, so the team was stood down.

04 ASC log no:384.  The team was called by police control room at 16:02 to assist the police with the search for a despondent male in the Stoke Sub Hamdon area of South Somerset. The police located the male, and the team was stood down at 17:07.  The Force Incident Manager subsequently requested that some team members attend the scene to assist with removal of evidence from a remote area. The team cleared the incident at 19:58.

03 27/02 to 03/03/15.  Avon & Somerset Police liaised extensively with the team over the events concerning a high risk missing teenage female in Bristol.  The team was put on ‘standby’ and called out on 02/03, to assist the police in a search of areas in North Bristol.  New evidence came to light very quickly and the team was stood down very soon after.

02 ASC Log 405. At 14:30 the SARIC received a call from the staff at Cheddar Caves reporting a female falling from the cliffs, and sustaining injuries.  Two members of the Caves staff were in attendance with her. The ASC police were informed, and a full Technical Team callout was arranged.  On arrival at the scene, it appeared the female had fallen about 70 feet and sustained injuries.

A SWAST paramedic was in attendance, followed by the S&D air ambulance. HART also attended from Bristol.  The RAF was contacted and they supplied a Seaking that winched the casualty to safety and transfer to Southmead hospital. The incident was stood down at 19:00.

01 ASC log 356. ASSAR was contacted by Avon & Somerset Police at 18.00 concerning a high risk, missing female in the Street area. The team was put on standby and then called out shortly afterwards. At approximately 19.30 the team was stood down as the missing person was found safe and well.

23 ASC log 429. Avon & Somerset police requested assistance with a search of Cheddar Gorge, for a high risk missing person at 17:22 hrs.  The team assembled at the RV point in the car park in Cheddar. The NPAS police helicopter found a heat source, and the person was removed to a place of safety. The team was stood down at 18:20.

22 ASC Log no. 0243 08/12/14 ASSAR was contacted by the Force Incident Manager concerning a vulnerable, high risk missing person in the Yeovil area. The person had not been seen since 03.00hrs in the morning and concern was growing for his welfare. ASSAR was called out at 13.45hrs. Search advisers worked closely with the police to inform the search while two specialist search teams worked through steep wooded areas. The team was stood down at 19.42hrs. Police reported that the missing person was found safe and well the next morning at a contacts residence.

21 ASC Log no. 0928 ASSARs Tech Team was put on standby and then rapidly called out at 21:00hrs to assist with searching the cliff faces in Avon Gorge. ASSAR remained searching until 03.00hrs on Thursday 4th December. They then returned at 10.00hrs to resume searching. The missing baby was located at 15.00hrs that day. The team worked in partnership with the police, HART and SWAST and deployed with the police rope access team. The team was stood down at 16.05hrs.

20 ASC Log no. 1104 (14/11/14) ASSAR was put on standby at 11.10 after growing concerns for the welfare of a male in the Backwell area of North Somerset. The team was called out at 11.18. Three specialist search teams were deployed into woodland areas. The missing person was quickly located. ASSAR then assisted police at the site until being stood down at 17.05.

19 ASC Log no. 0436 ASSAR tech team called out to Cheddar Gorge in response to a situation concerning the safety of a man at 13.29. ASSAR helped the police negotiations and moved the man to a place of safety. The team was stood down at 16.47.

18 ASC log no 731 The SARIC was contacted by the Police Control room at 18:30, notifying ASSAR of a missing high risk young male in the Churchill area.  The male had gone missing during activities on the Dolebury Warren, Mendip Hills.  The PolSA confirmed an RV point and the team was put on Standby.  The team was called out at 19:03, to assist with a wide area search as the male was believed to be very active and mobile.  The young male was located by a family member, some distance away, and the team was stood down at 19:15.

17 SWAST log 678. ASSAR technical team was called out at 16.18 to an incident involving a fallen climber in Goblin Combe. The climber was located and found to have serious injuries. Working with SWAST paramedics and the HART team the casualty was stabilised and made ready for helicopter evacuation. RAF 169 Seaking was deployed and arrived on scene at 17.41, the casualty was winched from the base of the cliff face and taken to hospital. The team was stood down at 19.26.

16 A&S Police log 998. At 19.48 ASSAR was put on standby as two walkers in the Cheddar Gorge area had become disorientated and benighted. They contacted the police who then arranged contact with an ASSAR Search & Rescue Incident Controller who spoke to them directly to ascertain their location. The walkers were able to send an image of their location. ASSAR was called out at 19.59, search teams were deployed and the walkers were located and walked off to a safe area. The team was stood down at 22.38.

15 A&S Police log 893.  Wiltshire Police log 252. The A&S police control room called ASSARs Search & Rescue Incident Controller at 20:25 requesting our assisting with a search on the Wiltshire border, near Farleigh Hungerford.  The incident was being run by Wiltshire police with search management advice being provided by A&S police.  We were requested to provide cross border, mutual aid.  The team was put on standby, and then called out at  21:00 hrs. ASSAR put 23 specialist search members onto the ground, and searched until 04:30 (8/10/14), when the team was stood down.  A hand over brief was given to the A&S POLSA.

Update 8/10/14 A&S police located a body believed to be the missing person.

14 ASC log 722. ASSARs technical team were training in Cheddar Gorge when an ambulance crew requested assistance with an incident. A female was reported to have fallen somewhere on the foot path above the gorge. The team acquired a police log number and deployed to the scene with a paramedic.  The female had suffered a fall sustaining lower limb and facial injuries. An air ambulance was requested and the casualty was transferred to hospital.  The team was stood down 17:05.

13 ASC log 1254. ASSAR was put on standby at 09.11 following a request from the police to assist in the search for a missing male student in Bath. A full team callout was sent at 09.33 with a rendezvous in the centre of Bath. An ASSAR Search & Rescue Incident Controller attended a police briefing to advise and discuss where best to deploy the ASSAR search specialists. Initially this was to be bankside and areas of suburban woodland. During this time a body believed to be that of missing Bath student was located by the police dive team and recovered from the River Avon in the city. ASSAR offered assistance for scene management but no further resources were required. The team was stood down at 11.57.

12 ASC Log no 1096 An ASSAR Search and Rescue Incident Controller was contacted directly by Avon & Somerset Constabulary concerning a missing vulnerable male in the Lambridge area of Bath. ASSAR was put on standby at 12.48hrs. Further discussions led to a full team callout at 13.30hrs. Search parties covered a variety of urban fringe areas and riverside to assist the police. The team was stood down at 19.27hrs. The missing person was located by police approximately 48hrs later.

11 ASC Log 072, Avon & Somerset Police contacted ASSAR at 08.45 concerning a missing male south of Taunton. ASSAR was put on standby at 09.04 and then called out at 09.46 alongside Exmoor SRT. Teams from both organisations, with the police, were involved in searching woodland areas. The missing person was located at approximately midday, ASSAR and Exmoor SRT members waited in support with ambulance staff from SWAST while he was moved to a place of safety with the police at 14.30. A unit from the police mounted division also attended. The team was stood down at 15.26.