Avon & Somerset Search & Rescue

20 A&SSAR Chief Rescue Officer’s were contacted by Avon & Somerset Police FIM and GWAS. Various Search and Rescue resources put on immediate operational readiness (6 ambulance’s inc. 3# 4X4, 1 tech rescue vehicle, 1 search vehicle, 1 water rescue vehicle and associated teams) to fill shortfall in resources though Friday evening and overnight due to other emergency services attending major incident. No deployments were required or made.

19 ASC Log No. 1024. The CRO was contacted by AS Police in regards to a missing person in the Highbridge area, the team was put on standby at 08:42 (Log No. 1185). Discussions carried on during the morning with the team being called out at 12:15. A multi agency missing person search was carried out in the Huntspill River area with Burnham Hovercraft Rescue, the coastguard, a police dog unit and the police helicopter. The team was stood down at 17:48.

18 ASC Log No. 574. The CRO was alerted by SARCALL to a young male cragfast on the cliffs in Burrington Combe at 13:29 hrs. The CRO responded to the car park in Burrington Combe where he was met by several bystanders, and two professional outdoor instructors. A young lad was observed to be cragfast at the height of appox 15m. Ropes were set up and using the available personnel a ‘single man’ rescue was carried out. The lad was examined by paramedics and returned to his parents – fit and well.

Other response units included the assistance of AFRS, AFRS line rescue unit, HART and GWAS paramedics. The incident was stood down at 14:21 hrs.

17 ASC log 523. The CRO was called by cave rescue at 11:04 who were forwarding a call passed to them in error. The report was of a female stuck somewhere on the cliffs in Cheddar Gorge. The A&S SAR team were running a training exercise that turned out to be 200m away from the incident. The female was unhurt and the team escorted her to safety. The team was stand down came at 14:42. No other assets were deployed to assist A&S SAR.

16 ASC Log No 523. The CRO was called by police control at 16: 40 notifying the team of a female missing person on or near, to Brean Down. The team was called at 16:46 for a search of the Brean Down area. The female was located, by the Coast Guard on the beach at Weston Super Mare. The team was stood down at 17:18

15 ASC Log No. 1325. The Chief Rescue Officer was contacted by Avon & Somerset Police notifying them of a vulnerable missing person in the Weston Super Mare area. The team was called out at 13:14. Search teams worked through Worlebury Woods and the adjacent quarries. The missing person was located at another location and the team stood down at 21:45.

14 ASC Log No. 635. The CRO was called by police control using SARCALL for the first time at 17:13 hrs. The search team was placed on standby – with immediate readiness to react. The police were seeking assistance with locating a vulnerable male, in the Radstock to Frome area of North Somerset. The male was known to be in his car, and therefore very mobile making it very difficult to formulate a search plan, but the A&S SAR team helped and assisted in the formulation of an action plan. The male was located by police in his car in Frome at 19:45. The patient was conveyed to RUH in Bath. The incident was stood down at 22:30

13 ASC Log No. 410 (ambulance incident no 298). A member of A&S SAR was traveling through Congresbury, and witnessed a car collide with a young female pedestrian who was crossing the road at about 09:10 hrs.. The team member gave emergency care, called an ambulance and organised the landing of an air ambulance. The patient was treated by paramedics and flown direct to Frenchay Hospital. The incident closed at 10:40.

12 ASC Log No. 887. A member of A&S SAR entered Fairy Cave Quarry (Somerset) at about 12:10. He was met by a distressed woman, indicating there had been a climbing accident. A male was observed to have fallen whilst climbing, and sustained injury. An ambulance was called from SWAST, and this was later backed up by the Somerset and Dorset air ambulance. The casualty was taken to hospital. The incident was closed at about 13:30.

11 ASC Log No. 607 The team was called out for a missing person search in the Bridgwater area at 18:45. The missing person was located and the team stood down 19:30.

10 ASC Log No. 831. The team was called by police control room, to a female who had reportedly collapsed at the top of ‘Jacob’s ladder’ in Cheddar Gorge at 14.45. The team responders arrived at the same time as the SWAST paramedic responders. An injured female was located some way up the cliff path away from the top of ‘Jacob’s ladder’, with lower leg injuries. The patient was treated and made ready for a carry off. For medical reasons a decision was taken to extract the patient by air ambulance. Considerable difficulties were encountered in trying to find a suitable, working helicopter. The Wiltshire police helicopter (air ambulance), was eventually used to convey the patient to Frenchay hospital. The team was stood down at 21:55.

09 ASC Log No: 1072 The CRO happened to be driving up Burrington Combe at 19:15 and was flagged down by the Churchill Ambulance crew asking for assistance with an incident in Sidcot Swallet. A young male had been reported as being trapped in the ‘lobster pot’ at the bottom of the cave. Mendip Cave Rescue were alerted via Ambulance EOC and they took over the underground rescue. HART was in attendance with several paramedics. All other emergency responders were stood down by the police as the male was reported to need no medical attention. The incident was stood down at 21:15

08 ASC Log No: 738. (ambulance incident no:0528). The ASC control room called the CRO at 15:51 and ambulance control confirmed this at 15:59. The incident was a 19 year old male trapped under ground in ‘Rock of Ages’ cave. The location turned out to be Sidcot Swallet, Burrington Combe. The CRO attempted a rudimentary call out of the cave rescue service, with limited success and then responded to the incident. With the assistance of three other local cavers the lad was located and released from his entrapment. He was brought to the surface where a paramedic examination revealed minor injuries. He was carried to the road and the waiting ambulance. The cave rescuers were assisted in this incident by a full team of HART paramedics, a double crewed ambulance, and seven fire appliances with fire-fighters; none of which entered the cave. The incident was closed at 17:30.

07 ASC Log No. 1111. The CRO was called at 20:11 hrs by the police control room, reporting a male climber in difficulties on Avon Gorge with an upper limb injury. The CRO contacted the FIM, to be told that the FIRE BRIGADE had stood A&S SAR down.  By chance A&S SAR had members in the Avon Gorge – indeed a team member had made the first call to the police. The duty CRO was in the Portway and chanced upon this small incident on Sea Walls.  The duty CRO introduced himself to the police officer who informed him that a SAR helicopter was inbound from Portland and it was very nearly dark.  The CRO took over air to ground communication with the helicopter and effectively became the on scene commander for the SAR incident. The AFRS line rescue team made contact with the casualty, and removed him to a place of safety.  As usual in these matters the ambulance (GWAS) service provided a very adequate paramedic back up service in the form of their HART, and the FRS supplied very large numbers of support personnel and equipment in addition to their line rescue team. The incident was stood down at 21:45.

06 ASC Log No. 410 GWAS incident 0186. The CRO/Mendip responder was alerted by GWAS EOC control to an incident on Dolberry Warren Hillfort, involving a young male with lower limb injuries. The paramedic crew were unable to access the patient and required 4X4 vehicle access. SX was responded and bolt cutters were used to open the gates where keys were not held. The patient was successfully treated and removed and the incident was stood down at about 19:30. There was no requirement for any other resources to be deployed.

05 ASC Log No. 830. The Mendip based CRO was alerted to a large cloud of black smoke coming from the Priddy Mineries area near to the Stock Hill plantation at approximately 15:15 hours. The CRO self deployed and discovered a large heath land fire surrounding the upper pond at Priddy Mineries.  The Fire brigade and other emergency services were alerted, and a quick sweep was made around the edge of the pond to ensure that there were no anglers or other tourists trapped by the advancing fire.  There appeared to be no immediate threat to human life or stock animals. The CRO remained on scene, providing medical back up to the fire fighters, until the incident was stood down at 18:30.

04 ASC Log No. 997. The CRO was contacted initially by the A&S police and then by the Wiltshire police who were involved searching for a missing female in the Swindon area. The Wiltshire Polsa made contact and the SAR team was put on an informal stand-by in case our services were required to assist in the search.

The team was never formally called, but several contacts took place between the CRO and the Polsa, during 23/24 March. The body of a female was found and the search was stood down.

03 ASC Log No. 612 The CRO was called by the police control room at about 15:30 advising of female stuck and injured in a cave in Burringtion Combe. The CRO notified the relevant Cave Rescue services including the MCRO. It was established that an 18 year old female had a lower limb injury in Goatchurch Cavern. The rescue services were on hand and the MCRO was assisted by HART, GWAS, SWAST ambulance teams and teams of fire fighters from Weston Super Mare, Blagdon and Winscombe. The incident was co-ordinated by the A&S Police. Fortunately the 60 or so rescue personnel who were present at the scene were able to recover the woman who was only a few feet inside the cave.

02 ASC Log No. 941 Chief Rescue Officer was contacted by the Police FIM at 20:02. Incident: red flares sighted in the vicinity of Cheddar Gorge; requested attendance by the team member for advice on scene. Member deployed to liaise with Police and Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue. After general search and deployment of police helicopter, incident was stood down at 21:20.

01 ASC log No. 568 The FIM (Force Incident Manager) called the CRO at 12:03 to notify of a caving incident in Sidcot Swallet, on the Mendip Hills. The police were unable to contact the cave rescue team, so the CRO responded on behalf of A&S SAR, and with the assistance of some caving instructors, entered the cave. The male caver had a knee injury, and was extricated to the surface, with the assistance of HART paramedics and some cave rescue personnel who arrived later. The incident was completed at 15:30. The casualty was taken to Weston hospital by GWAS ambulance.