Avon & Somerset Search & Rescue

28 ASC Log 730 The Force Incident Manager contacted the ASSAR Chief Rescue Officer at 19.20 concerning an elderly missing person in the Southmead area of Bristol. Weather conditions were poor elevating the level of concern for the individual. ASSAR was called out at 19.35 and tasked with searching several open spaces in the area including a golf course. ASSARs protracted overnight search was suspended while investigations by the police continued in the early hours of 3/12/12 and the team officially stood down at 11.30 that day after it was confirmed the missing person was found safe and well.

27 ASC Log 695 (24/11). A despondent male had been reported missing at 15:14 on 24/11. Evidence suggested he may be either in or near the King’s Sedgemoor Drain, Chedzoy, Bridgwater. At 10:07 on 25/11/12 the Force Incident Manager called out the team. The team deployed bank side search teams and searched the water from a specialist rescue boat. Nothing was found and the team was stood down at 16:30 hrs.

26 ASC Log 661 (24/11/12). After receiving regular updates during the early evening, another weather front brought high winds and further heavy rain to the region. The Chief Rescue Officer put all Swift-water Rescue Technician (SRT) personnel on ‘Stand By’ at about midnight. At 02:06 (25/11) the FIM requested assistance with possible water rescue and 4×4 vehicle back up. A team of 2 4×4 vehicles with SRT members, was dispatched to Cheddar Village where there was a very high possibility of inundation of about 300 homes as the river was close to bursting its banks. At the same time a request was made to dispatch 3 4×4 vehicles to RV at Taunton Police station to assist with the search for a missing male in Williton near Watchet. The youth was reported missing in flood water, after his friends had returned home and discovered he was missing. The youth was later found, safe and well and the team was stood down at 05:00.

25 ASC Log 1561. Due to approaching bad weather and storms, the Force Incident Manager (FIM) had been in regular contact with A&SSARs Chief Rescue Officer to keep the team in the picture of the developing weather system. At 19:27 the FIM advised the CRO to place the team on ‘Stand By’ pending further developments, due to wide spread heavy rain. At about 20:45 the FIM mobilised the CRO to Chew Stoke to investigate a report that a car had been washed away from the ford and had been seen floating away downstream. A major multi agency rescue attempt was made to find, and recover the driver of the vehicle. Other responding 4×4 units were directed to Keynsham Police Station, and await a more detailed operational brief. As the Chew Stoke incident was stood down the rain stopped and the floods locally began to recede. The team was stood down at about 00:30 on 23/11/12.

24 ASC Log No 0089. The police requested some help and advice regarding a very large rock that had descended from the top of Cheddar Gorge and landed in the road in the early hours of the morning. Nobody was known to have been hurt in the incident, but there were certain public safety issues that needed to be resolved. The A&SSAR Chief Rescue Officer assisted the police and the Cheddar Caves staff resolve these issues, and the incident was stood down. The team remained on a ‘listening’ brief – in case further difficulties arose.

23 ASC Log No. 750. The Force Incident Manager contacted the Chief Rescue Officer at 19:23 hrs. The request was for assistance to search for a despondent 42 year old female whose car had been found abandoned in woodland near Kilmersden near Frome in Somerset. The police were searching an area adjacent to the car using dogs and the Q99 helicopter. The local area had many areas of dense woodland and plantations, some of which contained small quarries and ponds. A&S SAR search teams were deployed into these areas of woodland because of their rugged terrain. The search areas were all completed by 03:00 hrs, so the teams were sent home for some well earned rest. The CRO spoke to the police again in the morning of 6/11/12, new evidence had come to light over night and the search was scaled down. The search teams were not recalled. The casualty was located by police, a few miles out of the immediate search area, safe and well. The team was stood down at 12:15 hrs.

22 ASC Log No. 809. The FIM contacted the team using SARCALL, the automated response system, at 17:28. The incident was a 14 year old boy, who had absconded from his school in Godney near Glastonbury. He was high risk and very vulnerable, and was last seen leaving the school by his teacher. The land around the school was low lying and still flooded after the recent heavy rain. The CRO set up an RV near the school and was briefed by the duty Inspector. A search plan was prepared, that involved containment by the police driving around all the local roads, whilst the SAR team would search the local countryside. The boy was located in a nearby village, by a police patrol, and found to be safe and well. The team was stood down at 18:45.

21 ASC Log No. 259. The CRO was contacted by the police POLSA for North Bristol at 09.05 hrs.  He was requesting assistance with the search for a missing 62 year old female, who suffered from dementia and memory loss. She had been reported missing on Saturday (22/09/12) morning by the staff at her residential home. Several sightings of the female had been reported, placing her in the general area of Winterbourne – North Bristol. The FIM requested the attendance of a Search Manager so that a search plan could be devised.  The team was put on ‘stand by’ to expect a ‘call out’ at 14:00.  The POLSA and Search Manager, worked together on preparing a plan that proved successful in locating the female in a field near Winterbourne. No medical assistance was required, so the team was stood down at 13:50

20 STANDBY At about 10:30 hours the CRO was notified by the Environment Agency, that the area of the River Severn around Tewkesbury (Gloucestershire) was on ‘red alert’ for immediate flood risk. A conversation with the ASC Force Incident Manager (FIM), about possible cross border operations. All necessary arrangements were made but the team was not called to assist the Gloucestershire Constabulary.

Later in the day at about 16:30 the FIM contacted the CRO again and asked for the team to be placed on ‘stand by’ for a possible major flood that could inundate parts of Weston-super-Mare. The CRO held discussions with the FIM and Duty Inspector at WSM every half an hour until 23;00 HRS. The team was eventually stood at 23:15, as the weather had improved sufficiently and the tide had turned thus reducing the risk of wide area flooding. The team was not required to assist on this occasion.

19 ASC Log No. 069. The CRO and Police FIM had a conversation at 07:30 about the rising flood risk that was becoming evident throughout the Force area. The team was put on ‘high alert’ for flood risk and a generic log number of 069 was issued. At 09:56 the CRO was contacted by the duty police team in Bath, and the duty Sergeant in Keynsham. Reports were coming in of the River Chew having burst it’s banks in the Chew Magna area. The team Swift-water Rescue Technicians and water rescue presence was requested, to attend, as two children and an infant were reported to be missing, and several people were reported to be stranded in flooded cars.

The water rescue team was responded and met the police on scene. Some of the team removed several people from stranded cars ‘en route’ to the incident, but the main incident was locating the missing children. The worst of the flooding was in Silver Street, which was inundated by flood water. The two missing children were located almost immediately, outside the school, and returned to a place of safety with their parents. The missing infant was located, stranded in the flood water. A rescue attempt was made, which resulted in a ’rescue swimmer’, entering a property, and removing the infant from the garden. The infant was returned to a place of safety, with her mother. The flood water began to recede and the incident was stood down at 12:00.

18 ASC Log No 1339. At 13.58 the Chief Rescue Officer was contacted by Avon & Somerset Constabulary concerning a missing 73 year old male in the Bath area, who had been reported missing the previous day. A&SSAR was called out at 14:38. Following searches of specific locations by the police A&SSAR was asked to search woodlands in the surrounding countryside. A&SSAR continued searching until 21:30 when the team was notified to stand down.

17 ASC Log no. 416 A member of the public reported seeing what they believed to be a dead goat on the cliffs in Burrington Combe at 09:50. The CRO informed some local cave leaders who were in the area at the time and the animal was safely removed.

16 ASC Log No. 1097.  Avon & Somerset Constabulary contacted the CRO at 20:12hrs concerning a vulnerable missing female in Cheddar Gorge. Avon & Somerset Search and Rescue was called out at 20:20hrs, along with Mendip Cave Rescue who attended and South West Ambulance. The missing female was found after 2hrs of search. The injured female was treated by the rescue teams doctor and paramedic for her injuries. The casualty was moved to a safe location at the top of Cheddar Gorge where she was winched to an RAF Search and Rescue Helicopter at 00:30hrs on 15/08/12 for immediate transfer to Bristol Frenchay Hospital. The team was stood down at 02:00.

15 ASC Log No. 808. A&SSAR was called out at 15:44 to Cheddar Gorge where an 11 year old boy had fallen. With assistance from SWAST and Avon Fire and Rescue Service the injured boy was airlifted to Frenchay Hospital by coastguard helicopter. Avon and Somerset Constabulary beat manager for Cheddar was in attendance with other local officers to oversee the temporary road closure to ensure public safety and as overall incident commander. The boy’s mother was helped down to the roadside and taken by road ambulance. A&SSAR was stood down at 18:08

14 ASC Log No. 915 Avon & Somerset Police contacted the CRO at 18:10 notifying them of a missing 14 year old boy in the River Avon at Saltford Weir. The team was called out at 18.22 for a water and bankside search. Two Swift Water Rescue technicians (rescue swimmers) were deployed into the weir along with a bankside search team and a rescue boat on the river from AFRS. The incident involved a large multi-agency operation involving Great Western Ambulance Service, HART, HEMS, Avon Fire and Rescue Service, Q99 police helicopter, and the Underwater Search Unit from AS Police. A&SSAR was stood down at 23:44. A body was discovered by the Underwater Search Unit at 23.30. It was formally identified on scene.

13 ASC Log No. 854. The A&S police control room called the CRO at 09.27 alerting the SAR team of a vulnerable male, who had been reported missing the day before in the Weston-super-Mare area. The team was called out and assigned the Worlebury Woods area to search. This included three large quarries – the technical team was deployed to search in them. A thorough search of the woods was completed and the male was found, safe and well by police in a different location. The team was stood down at 15:30 hrs.

12 ASC Log No 605. The Technical team CRO was contacted at 13:30 by SWAST ambulance control. The report was of a female who had fallen about 30ft. The team was to RV outside Gough’s Cave in Cheddar Gorge. The FIM was contacted and a police log number was obtained. The team discovered the patient was actually inside Gough’s Cave and was reported to have lower limb injuries. The Mendip cave rescue team was requested and HART was dispatched from Exeter.

The Technical rescue team gained access to the patient, and together with a paramedic crew and help from members of the cave rescue team the female was recovered to the ambulance on the road at the entrance to the cave. The team was stood down at 15:12.

11 ASC Log No 979. The Chief Rescue Officer was contacted by ASC Force Incident Manager at 23:48 on 31/05/12 concerning a missing person incident at East Huntspill. ASSARs Bankside and Swift Water Rescue Technicians (SRT) were called out at 00:13. The north bank of the River Brue that passed a caravan park were searched and two SRTs searched the river by boat. The team was stood down at 05:44.

10 ASC Log No 327. Avon & Somerset Police Force Incident Manager contacted the CRO at 12:55 on 24/5/12 concerning a missing man in the Bath area after his vehicle had been located. The man had been missing for several days and had known medical conditions. The team was put on standby at 13:00 after consultations with the duty “Polsa”. A&SSAR’s search and rescue teams were then called out at 16:30. Woodlands, fields and bankside areas were searched extensively well into the evening until the search was eventually suspended overnight. The search resumed on 25/5/12 with an A&SSAR swiftwater rescue boat team searching the River Avon upstream of Bathampton Mill, followed by further A&SSAR search and rescue teams searching further different woodland areas. Assistance with the search was also obtained from Mendip Cave Rescue Organisation searching the disused underground stone mine workings in the area. The teams of A&SSAR and MCRO were stood down at 21:45 that evening.

09 ASC Log 1077. The CRO was contacted by the FIM at 21:42 requesting assistance on the Clifton Suspension bridge, with a despondent male. The ambulance EOC also contacted the CRO and the technical rescue team was called out. The incident was in the Avon Gorge just behind the observatory. The tech team assisted the police negotiator, and the male was brought back to safety. Also in attendance were paramedics from GWAS, the HEMS response teams and the Avon Fire and Rescue Service. The team was stood down at 22:31.