Avon & Somerset Search & Rescue

24 ASC Log no. 874 Following reports of a male walking in a dangerous location on the cliff tops of Avon Gorge the police requested assistance from ourselves. The team was called out at 19:39 with search teams deployed cliff top and bottom. Nothing was found and the team was stood down at 21:51

23 ASC Log no. 521 The team were requested to help with a female who had fallen in Cheddar Gorge. The team was called out at 14:13, the incident was dealt with working alongside paramedics and the team stood down at 15:54

22 ASC Log no. 1146 Due to growing concerns for the welfare of a young male in Portishead the police contacted the team. The team was put on Standby at 12:51 and then called out at 14:51. Search specialists covered a variety of rural areas and a redundant railway track on the edge of Portishead. Nothing was found and the team was stood down at 20:47. Sadly the missing male was found deceased in Portishead later .

21 ASC Log No. 1217 Police contacted the team regarding a despondent male in the Stogursey area near Bridgwater. As initial discussions were taking place the missing male made contact with the police and no action was required from the team.

20 ASC Log no. 557 Following the concerns for the welfare of a missing male the team was put on standby at 13:58 and called out at 14:57 to search areas near Chewton Mendip. Woodland and field areas were searched but nothing was found and the team was stood down at 21:41.

19 ASC Log no. 1041 The team was called out at 21:46 to search for a missing vulnerable autistic young male in Leigh Woods near Bristol. The teams’ specialist search technicians worked until being stood down at 02:39 on 1/7/18. Members were on scene again at first light with the full team assembling later. The missing person was located safe and well outside the search area and the team stood down at 08:05.

18 ASC Log no. 609. 22/6/18, 23/6/18, 25/6/18 and 26/6/18

At 10:21 on 22/06/18 the team was put on standby following concerns for the welfare of a vulnerable elderly gentleman in Nunney. The team was subsequently called out at 11:19 and tasked with searching rural areas around the village in conjunction with police officers,  dogs, mounted and helicopter. The team was stood down that evening at 21:03.

Following new information the police requested the assistance of the team on 23/6/18 and put on standby at 15:58, then called out at 16:10. A location of a possible sighting was searched including steep wooded grounds and quarry access routes. Nothing was found and the team stood down at 20:56.

On 25/6/18 the police requested the team help search new areas near the village of Mells and were called out at 11:56. The team searched until being stood down 22:01.

At 11:30 on 26/6/18 the team were called out to assist police with further areas that needed searching.  The team was stood down at 17:23.

Sadly that evening the body of Kenneth Scotcher was found.

17 ASC Log no. 376 The team was put on standby at 11:56 and then called out at 12:08 to assist the ambulance service with a male suffering a lower leg injury on ground above Cheddar Gorge. The male was not in a place of danger but team members were required to help move the casualty down to a waiting ambulance. Concurrently the team also assisted a young male suffering a head injury at the bottom of the gorge. The team was stood down at 15:07

16 ASC Log no. 837 At 18:37 two people concerned for their own safety in Cheddar Gorge contacted the police. The team was put on standby at 18:49 as ASSARs incident contacted team members local to Cheddar. A limited callout was announced for members in the vicinity while the rest of the team remained on standby. The walkers were assisted off the steepground by team members and the team stood down at 20:21

15 ASC Log no. 999 At 22:52 ASSAR was put on standby at the request of the police to search for vulnerable person in the Littleton-upon-Severn area. ASSAR was called out at 23:46 to work with local coastguards in the search. As search teams were deploying a possible sighting was reported. ASSAR members quickly located the missing person and passed him safely to the police. The team were stood down at 01:35.

14 ASC Log no. 413 At 12:33 ASSARs technical rescue team were put on standby following the discovery of a casualty on a ledge in Cheddar Gorge. A local member accessed the scene with other emergency services but the casualty was found to be deceased. ASSAR remained on standby until 15:29.

13 ASC Log No. 987 ASSARs technical rescue specialists were called out at 20:33 to Clifton Suspension Bridge to assist other emergency services with a vulnerable person. ASSAR members assisted paramedics and Fire & Rescue staff on the cliff face to move the person to a safe location. The team was stood down at 23:29.

12 ASC Log no. 616 The team was put on standby at 18.53 following a request from the police as they were concerned for the welfare of a vulnerable missing person in the Peasedown St. John area near Bath. The team were called out at 19.41 but then stood down at 20.48 as teams as the missing person was located in the centre of Bath.

11 ASC Log no. 534 1/3 – 2/3 The police contacted ASSAR at 19.44 regarding assistance with vulnerable members of the public due to the weather conditions and to assist other emergency services with welfare checks on stranded motorists. A red weather warning had been issued foe the area. Four of ASSARs assets were deployed to a variety of incidents around our area and dealt with other incidents as they came across them. A member of ASSAR also joined the incident planning team in police HQ to help coordinate the volunteer search and rescue response. The operational response from ASSAR was stood down at 01.45 while the member remained in the planning team.

10 ASC Log no. 362 ASSARs support was requested by the police regarding a suicidal male in woodland near Bath. The team was put on standby at 14.12 and called out at 14.59. The team was stood down en route at 15.20 as police had located the deceased male.

09 ASC Log no. 20180224-0498 24/2 – 25/2 At 12.00 the police contacted ASSAR with growing concerns regarding a missing person, Dean Tate in Highbridge. The team was called out at 12.22. Search specialists were deployed to do water margin and land searches along with other emergency services. ASSAR was stood down overnight at 19.33 with a request to continue the next day. ASSAR recommenced the search, joined by Exmoor SRT,  focusing on different rural areas the next day at 10.00 and stood down at 17.51 pending further police information.

08 ASC Log no. 493 At 15.02 ASSARs technical rescue team was called out to Avon Gorge. Team members in the vicinity arrived quickly, given the location and circumstances of the deceased person no further ASSAR resources were deemed necessary and the team stood down at 15.26 while other emergency services dealt with the incident.

07 ASC Log no. 489 (non-emergency) A missing dog had been located by owners in Cheddar Gorge. Following discussions between ASSAR and the police there was concerns that people would put themselves at risk trying to access the dog’s location. A non- emergency log was provided to ASSAR to access the dog. Sadly the dog had not survived the fall but it was removed from the cliffs reunited with its owners by team members.

06 ASC Log no. 699 The police contacted ASSAR at 16.27  following concerns for the safety of two people who were trying to access a dog that had been missing and now located in Cheddar Gorge. Members of the ASSAR technical rescue team helped the individuals and the missing German Shepherd Grace to safety. The team was stood down at 18.11.

05 ASC Log no. 518 At 14.00 a request from the ambulance service came via the police requesting assistance with a casualty above the cliffs in Cheddar Gorge. The team was put on standby and members local to Cheddar were directly requested at 14.08. The members helped load the casualty who was then moved to a roadside site for transport to hospital. The team was stood down at 15.44