Avon & Somerset Search & Rescue

01 ASC Log no. Following concerns for the welfare of a missing male in the Yate area the police asked ASSAR to go on standby at 12:17 with a full callout following at 12:23. Search specialists were deployed in to rural areas around Yate. Nothing was found and the team was stood down at 17:45 pending further investigations from the police. Later that evening the missing male was located in a different area safe and well.

36 ASC Log: 464 The team’s technical rescue element were called out at 14:58 to support police and other emergency services at Uphill Quarry, Weston-super-Mare. A male was situated in a precarious position on the cliff top. The tech team remained on-site as a precaution while the police resolved the situation and were stood down at 19:23.

35 ASC Log no. 549 The team was put on standby at the request of the police to help with a search for a high risk missing male in the Dundry area of South Bristol. The team was called out at 17:17. In conjunction with the police search teams deployed into farmland. Signs were found indicating the missing male had been through the search area. Reports began to arrive via the police that a male matching the description of the missing person had been reported. Soon afterwards the police were able to confirm the man had been located near Ashton Gate and was receiving the care needed. The team was stood down at 21:55.

34 ASC log no. 533 . The team was contacted by Avon & Somerset Police following concerns for a missing elderly lady in the Long Ashton area suffering from dementia. The team was called out at 16:53. As the team was about to be briefed on the search areas police were notified that the lady had been located in Hotwells, Bristol. The team was stood down at 17:44.

33 ASC Log no. The team was contacted by police at 01:32 concerning a vehicle that had entered the water in Bristol docks. No action was required from ASSAR as a police dive unit was required.

32 ASC Log no. 1242 Police contacted the team following concerns over a vulnerable missing male in Thornbury. The team was put on standby at 10:59 then called out at 11:12. Rural areas and water courses were covered by specialist search teams until 18:43 when the team was stood down for the day.

30/9/18 The team was put back on standby at 09:50 and called back at 10:03 and searched further areas around Thornbury, nothing was found and the team was stood down at 15:53 pending further intelligence from the police.

31 ASC Log no. 966 The police contacted the team following concerns for the safety of a missing male in Bath. The team went on standby at 20:35 but were stood down at 20:51 as the male had been located.

30 ASC Log no. 830 During the teams attendance at the Police Open Day they were contacted by the police to help with a search for a vulnerable male in South Bristol. The team was put on standby at 10:45 and then called out at 12:19 following developments in the incident. The team left the open day and moved to the search area, en route they were stood down as the missing person had made contact with the police and the team were stood down at 13:05. They returned to the open day and set and set the displays up again.

29 ASC Log no. 301 A request came from SARA (Severn Area Rescue Association) to support them as they had been out all night searching for a high risk missing person in the Robins Wood Hill area near Gloucester. The team was put on standby at 06:00 and then called out at 06:49. Alongside SARA, SARDA dogs and Gloucester Cave Rescue the woodlands, golf course and open areas of the hill were searched. ASSAR was stood down at 15:13.

The body of the missing person was located five days later in a different area of the countryside.

28 ASC Log no. 1013 Police asked for the team to be put on standby to conduct a search for a vulnerable missing female in the Abbots Leigh area near Bristol. The team went on standby at 15:35, was then called out at 16:01. Woodlands an water margins were searched by specialist teams. Nothing was found that evening and the team was stood down at 20:56.

5/9/18 The team was called back out at 08:48 to search further high probability areas. The search was stood down at 12:15 as police divers had located the body of the missing person. Our condolences to the family and friends.

27 ASC Log no. 927 The police made the initial contact with the team’s incident controllers concerning a vulnerable missing person in the Stoke-sub-Hamdon area. As discussions were progressing the missing person was located and no action was required.

26 ASC Log no. 1088 The police contacted the team following concerns for a missing high risk elderly female near Latteridge, Yate. The team was put on standby at 10:33 and then called out at 10:46. The elderly lady had turned back from a walk with her husband on the previous evening and then not seen again. Search specialists moved through the farmland on her route as part of a large search involving police and police dogs, in pouring rain. Nothing was found that day and the team was stood down at 18:50.

27/08/18 The team was asked to come back and was put on standby at 11:02, then called out at 11:21. Search teams moved into wider areas around the route supported by the police helicopter. As the helicopter moved to a new area the missing lady was spotted next to a hedgerow outside of the original search areas. Alongside the police we organised the air ambulance to attend and take her to hospital. The team was stood down at 17:47.

25 ASC Log no. 46 Police were concerned for the safety of a female who had been missing overnight having not returned from a dog walk. The team was put on standby at 05:38 and the called out at 05:58. The missing lady’s car had already been located outside the large Asham Quarry near Frome. Specialist search teams moved into the different areas of the quarry. A team located the dogs initially which then led them to finding the lady who had fallen down a cliff face and remained there overnight. She was given medical treatment at the scene while the air ambulance was en route, she was then airlifted to Southmead Hospital. The team was stood down at 12:32. Despite broken bones and internal injuries the woman left hospital a couple of weeks later and we wish her a speedy recovery.

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.