Avon & Somerset Search & Rescue

Incident 25 24-25/7/26

Avon and Somerset Police contacted us late afternoon on Friday 24th with concerns for a high risk male south of Weston-super-Mare. Search teams were deployed into woodland and open areas with police undertaking further investigations. Nothing was found that evening.

Our support was requested again on Saturday. Teams undertook further searches of nearby areas and our water team did bankside searches. The scale of the search escalated and included Exmoor Search & Rescue TeamWessex 4×4 ResponseMendip Cave RescueSearch and Rescue Dog Association South WalesBurnham Coastguard Rescue TeamWeston-Super-Mare Coastguard Rescue TeamBARB Search & Rescue – Burnham-on-Sea hovercraftRNLI Weston-super-Mare

Sadly at that time no find was made despite the efforts of all involved.

INCIDENT 23. 29/6/26.

Avon and Somerset Police contacted the team following concerns for the welfare of a despondent male near Bridgwater. Ourselves and Exmoor Search And Rescue Team were responding when the male was found.

#searchandrescue

INCIDENT 22. 26/6/26

Avon and Somerset Police requested support in the search for a high risk male in the Chapmanslade area. As team members were en route the missing male returned to a place of safety.

INCIDENT 21. 21/6/26

WILSAR requested support in the search for a high risk missing person. We were able to send water trained members and search operatives to help. The team was stood down pending further investigations.

INCIDENT 20 14/6/26

We provide ‘rescue cover’ for the Top of the Gorge adventure festival on the Mendip Hills. A runner suffered a lower leg injury and was unable to bear weight on it despite trying. The location was difficult to access with a steep slope, stream crossing the path and very uneven terrain and trail runners still competing along the evacuation route. We assisted the event paramedic to scene, and then safely moved the casualty by stretcher to one of our 4×4 vehicles then down to a road ambulance.

#mendips #searchandrescue

Incident 19 10/6/26

We were contacted in the early hours by @aspolice requesting support in the search for a vulnerable male in the Middlezoy area of Somerset.

Search teams deployed into the high probability areas along with police and then joined by the @maritimecoastguard search and rescue helicopter.

A police dog handler found the missing male, our members were nearby and able to deliver pre-hospital care before being joined by a paramedic from the helicopter. The casualty was then airlifted to the nearby cricket pitch for handover to @swas_ft

The team was operational for 6 hours.

ASSAR is a completely voluntary organisation and relies entirely on public donations to respond 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Your support is really appreciated by us and the people we help.

assar.org.uk/donate

Mountain Rescue England and Wales

SWERA – South West England Rescue Association

#missingperson#searchandrescue

#somerset

#Middlezoy

Incident 18 5/6/26

We were initially contacted by @aspolice to help in the search for a vulnerable elderly female around Stoke sub Hamdon in South Somerset. Given the location we requested this be passed to @exmoorsrt to run the job and request us if further resources were needed. Shortly afterwards the request came and we were able to send several members to support. The elderly female was found alive and treated at the scene before being handed to @swas_ft

#searchandrescue#somerset#missingperson

Incident 15 08/04/26 Continuation.

Avon and Somerset Police requested further in the ongoing search for a high risk missing person in the Aust area of South Gloucestershire.

The team went on standby in the morning as further search areas were discussed, and then called out to deploy into those areas.

Our involvement was part of a much broader search involving more police resources and the coastguard plus Severn Area Rescue Association

Sadly nothing was found. We remain ready to help the police as further investigations and enquiries are made.

The team was operational for 5 hours.

ASSAR is a completely voluntary organisation and relies entirely on public donations to respond 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Your support is really appreciated by us and the people we help.

assar.org.uk/donate

Mountain Rescue England and Wales

SWERA – South West England Rescue Association

#mountainrescueuk

#searchandrescue

#missingperson

#volunteers

#aust

Incident 15. 08/04/26

Avon and Somerset Police contacted us early in the morning to request support in the search for a high risk missing person in the Aust area of South Gloucestershire.

Team members searched the high probability areas as part of the broad search plan with police officers and the coastguard. Nothing was found and it was agreed we would stand down pending further police investigations.

The team was operational for 3.5 hours.

ASSAR is a completely voluntary organisation and relies entirely on public donations to respond 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Your support is really appreciated by us and the people we help.

assar.org.uk/donate

Mountain Rescue England and Wales

SWERA – South West England Rescue Association

#volunteers

#southglos

#rescue

#searchandrescue#missingperson

Incident 14. 04/04/26

Avon and Somerset Police contacted us in the early evening on behalf of South Western Ambulance to help a gentleman with a lower leg injury above Jacob’s Ladder, Cheddar Gorge. Team members were able to assist with pain relief, securing the injured area, packaging on to a stretcher and getting him down to the roadside and handing him over to paramedics. We wish him a speedy recovery.

The team was operational for 4 hrs.

assar.org.uk/donate

Mountain Rescue England and Wales

SWERA – South West England Rescue Association

#searchandrescue#missingperson#mountainrescue

Incident 13. 31/3/26

WILSAR contacted us for support with a missing person in Chippenham. The callout was downgraded to a standby as local resources were sufficient. Sadly this incident became a body recovery. A difficult time for friends, family and all involved. We wish them all well.

assar.org.uk/donate

Mountain Rescue England and Wales

SWERA – South West England Rescue Association

#searchandrescue#missingperson

Incident 12. 30/3/26

@aspolice contacted the team with concerns for a missing person in the Portishead area. Following discussions it was agreed that the coastguard were best placed to initiate the search and pending further police investigations we were ready to assist.

assar.org.uk/donate

Mountain Rescue England and Wales

SWERA – South West England Rescue Association

#searchandrescue#missingperson#mountainrescue

Incident 11. 28/03/26

@wiltshiresearchandrescue requested support with a search for a missing male near Castle Combe. Team members from ASSAR attended and the person was found safe by search teams.

assar.org.uk/donate

Mountain Rescue England and Wales

SWERA – South West England Rescue Association

#searchandrescue#missingperson

Incident 10. 17/03/26

@aspolice contacted us to search for a missing young person, given the location near Taunton this was passed to @exmoorsrt. Successfully resolved.

assar.org.uk/donate

Mountain Rescue England and Wales

SWERA – South West England Rescue Association

#searchandrescue#missingperson

Incident 09. 13/3/26

@dorset_search_and_rescue requested our support with an ongoing search, unfortunately we weren’t able to provide anyone but were pleased to hear the situation was successfully resolved.

assar.org.uk/donate

Mountain Rescue England and Wales

SWERA – South West England Rescue Association

#searchandrescue#missingperson

Incident 08. 08/03/26

@wiltshiresearchandrescue requested our support in the search for a missing 18yo. As the team was being called out the missing person was located.

ASSAR is a completely voluntary organisation and relies entirely on public donations to respond 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Your support is really appreciated by us and the people we help.

assar.org.uk/donate

Mountain Rescue England and Wales

SWERA – South West England Rescue Association

#searchandrescue#missingperson

Incident 07. 1/3/26.

@aspolice contacted the team at dawn to request support for a vulnerable male missing from Weston-super-Mare.

As team members were beginning to gather at the rendezvous point the police were able to confirm that a member of the public had found the man safe and well. The team was able to stand down after being operational for an hour.

ASSAR is a completely voluntary organisation and relies entirely on public donations to respond 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Your support is really appreciated by us and the people we help.

assar.org.uk/donate

Mountain Rescue England and Wales

SWERA – South West England Rescue Association

#searchandrescue#westonsupermare#missingperson

Incident 06. 28/2/26.

At lunchtime on Saturday we were contacted by @aspolice with a request to search areas around Cheddar Gorge for a high risk missing male.

For us the search focussed on steep ground and open areas around Cheddar Gorge while the police searched other areas and carried on with their investigations.

The team searched until the late afternoon with no find. Police investigations carried on and we remain ready to help pending further police investigations.

The team was operational for 5.5 hours.

ASSAR is a completely voluntary organisation and relies entirely on public donations to respond 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Your support is really appreciated by us and the people we help.

assar.org.uk/donate

Mountain Rescue England and Wales

SWERA – South West England Rescue Association

#searchandrescue#cheddargorge#cheddar#missingperson#cliffrescue

Incident 05. 27/2/26.

We were contacted by @aspolice in the early evening with a request to help in the search for Gerald, a missing elderly male from the Dundry area.

Our search teams deployed into a wide area of the countryside in difficult weather conditions. We found Gerald in the early hours of 28/2/26 wet and cold but alive. We were then able to load him onto a stretcher and get him to the roadside to an ambulance.

We were proud to have a played our part in this large scale search involving police helicopter and drone plus SD Griff from @sardasouthwales

The team was operating for 7.5hours.

ASSAR is a completely voluntary organisation and relies entirely on public donations to respond 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Your support is really appreciated by us and the people we help.

assar.org.uk/donate

Mountain Rescue England and Wales

SWERA – South West England Rescue Association

#missingperson#bristol#dundry#searchandrescue#volunteers

Incident 04. 20/02/2026

Our rope rescue team were called out by @aspolice to Cheddar Gorge to assist a person that had fallen from height. The team worked alongside our partner emergency services to recover the person to the ground.

The team were operational for 6 hours.

Our thoughts and condolences are with their family and friends.

ASSAR is a completely voluntary organisation and relies entirely on public donations to respond 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Your support is really appreciated by us and the people we help.

assar.org.uk/donate

#mountainrescueuk#mrew#mountainrescueenglandandwales#somuchmorethanmountains#technicalrescue#roperescue#volunteers#avon#somerset#rescue#searchandrescue