Avon & Somerset Search & Rescue

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.

25 ASC Log No. 950 Avon & Somerset Police contacted ASSAR at 19.50 concerning a suspected BASE jumper from Clifton Suspension Bridge who was not seen to land. Chief Rescue Officer attended the scene with members of the tech team. A cliff face search was conducted, no sign was found and the team was stood down at 23.15

24 ASC log 573. The CRO was called by the Force Incident Manager at 14:35 hrs.  He reported a group of four people ‘crag fast’ on very steep ground at Rowberrow Hill Fort near Churchill.  The technical rescue team was responded and attended the scene.  Police helicopter 45 was hovering overhead to mark the group’s location. The police were in attendance, and the site was accessed by climbing to the scene and ropes were used to bring the group down to a place of safety. No injuries were reported. The team was stood down at 16:15 hrs.

23 The CRO was called by SWAST control room in Exeter, at 21:30 hrs, reporting an injured mountain biker on the Black Down area of the Mendip Hills.  The responding ambulance crew were having trouble accessing the area, on what was a very stormy evening.  The police FIM confirmed the incident and a pre-call ‘alert’ was organised within A&S SAR. The police helicopter was unable to assist, due to bad weather. By 22:00 Hrs, the casualty had decided to move himself to a point of safety, and reported to the waiting ambulance crew for a medical check up.  The team was stood down at 22:20 hrs.

23 ASC Log No. 8690F03 ASSAR was put on standby at 18.26 following a call from AS Police asking for help with a group of missing people in the area of Somerton. The group had been reported missing in extensive woodland and the police were concerned due to the poor weather and darkness. The team was called out shortly afterwards but then stood down at 19.13 as the missing group was located.

22 ASC Log No 796 ASSAR was contacted by Avon & Somerset Police at 17.21 resulting in an immediate callout for the Tech team (ASSARs rope access specialists) to Cheddar Gorge following the report of people being stranded on a cliff face. The team was stood down within a few minutes when it was realised they were climbers mistakenly identified by well meaning tourists.

21 ASC log 950. The Force Incident Manager contacted ASSAR at 22.35hrs asking for assistance with a missing female in the Frome area. The team was called out at 23.08hrs to rendezvous at Frome Police Station for a further briefing. At 00.08hrs the team was stood down as the missing person was located. Several members made it to the rendezvous while others turned back en route.

19 ASC log no: 1100 (16/08/13). The CRO was called by the Force Incident Manager at 08:25 alerting the team of a vulnerable missing person, believed to be in the Worlebury Woods area of Weston Super Mare. The full team was put on ‘stand by’, at 08;30, and was called out at 08:35. A full search of the dense wooded area was made on top of Worlebury Hill. Exmoor Search and Rescue team was called out on a mutual aid basis at 13:00. They arrived on scene and carried on search operations in the woods. A&S SAR team was stood down at 17:48. Nothing was found.

18 ASC Log 242. The CRO was contacted at 12:20Hrs via SARCALL to an incident involving a missing female in the Lansdown area of Bath. The team was called out, but on arrival at the RV point it was discovered that the missing person was already accounted for in hospital.  The team was stood down at 13:45.

17 ASC Log 0250 The Force Incident Manager for Avon & Somerset Police contacted the team at 08.54 with a request to help search for a missing person. ASSAR members were put on standby at 09.36. Following ongoing discussions the team was called out at 11.20 to search woodlands, cliffs, quarries and a cyclepath in the Leigh Woods area of Bristol. Several search parties were deployed into these areas. The team was stood down at 17.10 pending further investigations from the police.

16 ASC log no: 116. The CRO was called by the police control room requesting assistance for the Fire and Rescue Service; for a report of two people who had become stuck on a ledge in Cheddar Gorge at about 19:30.

The incident was actually to remove three Spanish speaking students who were stuck near ‘French Pinnacle’ in Cheddar Gorge. They were unharmed, but very frightened and disorientated. A&S SAR technical team, were assisted in the removal by a SWAST ambulance crew, HART from Exeter, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue, and Avon Fire and Rescue. The incident was stood down at 22:33.

15 ASC Log No 593. ASSARs Chief Rescue Officer was contacted at 13:20 with a request to assist South West Ambulance Service in carrying an injured female from Crook Peak to an ambulance. The team was called out at 13:30. The team provided casualty care and safely moved the injured lady onto a stretcher and carried her down to the ambulance at the roadside. The team was stood down at 14:27.

14 ASC Log No. 0438 ASSAR Chief Rescue Officer was contacted by AS Police at 15.11 requesting assistance to search for a missing person in the Blagdon area. ASSAR was called out at 15.28. The missing person was located and no further action required. The team was stood down at 15.56.

13 ASC Log No. 0221 ASSAR was called out by Avon & Somerset Police at 16.02 to conduct a missing person search in the Coalpit Heath area. Several teams were tasked with searching lake edges, woodlands and abandoned railway lines. The search was suspended at 21.45 pending further investigations.

12 ASC Log No 653 ASSAR was put on standby at 19.34hrs by AS Police to assist in a search for a missing person. The team was called out at 19.42 to the Chew Magna area. Three search teams were deployed. Police dogs and the police helicopter were also searching adjacent areas. The incident was unresolved and the team was stood down at 22.54hrs.

Continuation of existing Log 653:

01/07/13 ASSAR was called out at 15.00hrs by the Police to undertake searches of other locations in the Stanton Drew area. Three search teams were deployed. ASSAR was stood down at 20.19hrs.

02/07/13 Further assistance was requested by the police, ASSAR members resumed searching at 11.00hrs. The team was stood down at 13.38hrs further to the missing person being located. No further assistance was required.