New Ropes for Avon & Somerset Search and Rescue thanks to Cheddar Parish Council
Cheddar Parish Council have donated £500 to Avon & Somerset Search and Rescue to help them buy new ropes for their important role in Cheddar Gorge. The gorge has the highest inland cliffs in the country and is a hot-spot for visitors, climbing and sadly suicides.
Avon & Somerset Search and Rescue started in Cheddar Gorge in the 1970s. It is now an emergency service staffed by volunteers who are on-call 24/7, 365 days a year. They search for and rescue people from cliffs and floods and other difficult situations in the countryside typically getting called out over 30 times a year.
Sadly Cheddar Gorge and Avon, along with other cliffs and quarries, are often used by people attempting to commit suicide or where people get stuck. Avon & Somerset Search and Rescue operate alongside the other emergency services to help these people and recover bodies when needed.
Peter Colton and Martin Kay (pictured) from Cheddar Parish Council visited the team in Cheddar Gorge to see the new ropes still on the roll. Steve Rumney, team leader, said, ‘By the nature of our work we have to replace ropes on a very regular basis. The kind donation from Cheddar Parish Council has helped us with getting replacements. They will be kept along with our other specialist rescue equipment in a store room kindly donated by Cheddar Caves for instant access when we need them.’