Avon & Somerset Search & Rescue

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.

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.