Avon & Somerset Search & Rescue

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.

10 Log 836.  The AS Police Force Incident Manager called requesting ASSARs Technical Team advice on a situation near the Clifton Suspension Bridge at  18:01 hrs. A male was reported being stranded on the cliffs near the bridge. The Technical Team was put on standby. The FIM requested that an ASSAR member attend the incident and report back to the control room. The AFRS and HART were also on scene. The male self rescued by wakling back up to the top of the Avon Gorge. The team was stood down at 18:49.

09 ASC log 1036 The Force Incident Manager called the SARIC at 21:44 hrs alerting the team to a possible light aircraft or helicopter reported missing in the Minehead area. For technical reasons Exmoor SRT had not responded to a SARCALL for this incident, and A&S SAR was put on standby as a precaution. Exmoor SRT was actually on site conducting a search, and as the call turned out to be a hoax, the team was stood down at 22:36 hrs.

08 ASC Log 0391  The police Force Incident Manager called the technical rescue team from ASSAR to an incident on top of Wells Cathedral Tower at 13:09 hrs. A female was reported to have fallen about 10 meters, and had become trapped in some scaffolding in a void, near the roof of the tower.  The technical rescue team responded and gave assistance to the ambulance service, police and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.  The casualty was prepared for transportation, moved to the roof of the Cathedral tower, and was winched to safety by an RAF Seaking helicopter.  The casualty was flown to Frenchay hospital.  The team was stood down at 16:13.

07 Log No. 609 At approx 15:45 a call was received from Avon & Somerset Constabulary control requesting attendance at Ham Hill Quarry, Stoke Sub Hamdon, South Somerset to recover possible evidence / property and assess the area with regard to any resultant public safety concerns further to a serious incident. A&SSAR’s SAR Incident Controller liaised with the ASC Force Incident Manager and (remotely assisted by the  A&SSARs Team Leader) attended the incident scene with a specially selected small technical party of four to undertake the request. This was completed by 19:55hrs .

06 ASC log 247. During the afternoon of 24/02/14 the police control room contacted the Search & Rescue Incident Controller (SARIC), and outlined a case of rising concerns for a missing vulnerable male in the South Bristol area. The SARIC attended a brief at a central Bristol police station, and the team was put on Standby at 16.13. Concerns were raised for the safety of this male, and a search was proposed for the Ashton Court Estate.  The team was called out at 17:37 and a search of the woodland in Ashton Court was carried out. The male was found to be safe and well so the team was stood down at 20:16.

05 ASC Log 921. ASSAR was called out to search for a missing person in woodland near the Kings Weston Road area of Bristol at 11.30. As members were deploying the missing person was located safe and well. The team was stood down at 13.16.

04 ASC Log 1084.  The police FIM contacted the team at 01:11 with a message relating to the settlement of Northmoor in Somerset. It was believed that a bank had burst and the village was suffering a mass inundation affecting up to 100 properties and 30 persons whose lives were at risk.  A total evacuation of the area was required.  The team responded all water trained personnel to the area, and aided a large multi agency incident to rescue the stricken residents and their livestock and pet animals. The incident was directed by the Avon and Somerset Police, with agencies including the Environment Agency, D&S FRS, Royal Marines and HART paramedic teams.  Team members visited all the residential and agricultural properties in the Northmoor and Ford Gate communities, which were either flooded or inundated.  All human residents, live stock and other animals were recovered to a place of safety. The team was stood down at 08:51

03 ASC Log no. 084 ASSAR was contacted by Avon & Somerset Police Force Incident Manager at 05.00 concerning reports of a a male who was in the water of the River Avon, near a Sainsbury store in Bath. ASSAR called out its water trained members at 05.30 for a bankside search. Two search parties were deployed along the bank to assist the other resources on scene; Fire & Rescue, police, paramedics and an RAF Search & Rescue helicopter. As nothing could be found through the bankside searches the team was stood down at 09.52. The police underwater unit discovered a body and removed it from the river at noon.

02 ASC Log 714 One of ASSARs Chief Rescue Officers was initially contacted by the duty ‘Head Guide’ at Cheddar Caves concerning a fallen climber in Cheddar Gorge, Avon & Somerset Police were then informed and a log number issued for the incident. ASSARs Tech Team was called out at 16.02. On arrival it was discovered that two people were missing. A visual search was carried out by Fire & Rescue Service using thermal cameras. The two tourists were located in a gully 90 metres above the road. ASSARs Tech Team installed a handline up to the two people, secured them and escorted then down safely. The team was stood down at 18.58.

01 ASC Log No. 331 Avon & Somerset Police contacted ASSAR at 11:27 concerning a male suffering heart problems on Crook Peak, Mendip Hills. The team was called out at 11.31. The initial response was to move the casualty to a helicopter or undertake a carry-out. The casualty was located on steep ground accessible through woodland. The incident developed to working with HART and SWAST paramedics to recover the casualty to a roadside ambulance. The team was stood down at 13.25.

26 ASC Log No. 0183 ASSAR was initially contacted on 10/12/13 by AS Police in regards to a missing male in the Taunton area. ASSARs Chief Rescue Officer recommended Exmoor Search & Rescue Team be contacted due to the location. On 11/12/13 ASSAR was contacted along with Dartmoor Search & Rescue to provide assistance in the search. Members responded to the control point adjacent to Taunton race course. At the same time the missing person was located and no further resources were required. The team was stood down at 10.56 hrs.