Avon & Somerset Search & Rescue

02 ASC Log No. 269 At 11.32 Avon & Somerset Police contacted ASSAR requesting assistance as a female and two young children were reported stuck on the cliffs, behind one of the rock-safety catch nets  in Cheddar Gorge. A limited number of ASSAR members in the immediate area were deployed while the rest of the Tech team were put on standby. The members attended the scene alongside other emergency services as the people were moved to safety. The team was stood down at 12.05.

01 ASC Log No. 182. Avon & Somerset Police contacted ASSAR at 15.09 requesting assistance with a search for a missing young female in the Radstock area. The team were called out at 15.40 following discussions with the police and were to be tasked with searching disused railway lines and other rural areas. The missing person was located safe and well as the team were en route at 16.30.

25 ASC Log no. 819 03/11/15 Avon & Somerset Police contacted ASSAR concerning a missing 16 year old in the Cheddar area. ASSAR was put on standby at 10.34 while the police gathered further intelligence. ASSAR was then called out at 11.56 to undertake a search of countryside and woodland near Cheddar. Three teams of search specialists, accompanied by police officers, were deployed while Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service searched waterways in the area. ASSARs teams then moved to search the paths around the top of Cheddar Gorge. One team covered the cliff tops on the southern side, supported by other members and police covering the open areas at the top, while a second team moved along the path on the northern cliff top. Pending further police investigations ASSAR was ready to resume searching again the following morning.

04/11/15 ASSARs technical rope team was put on standby at 14.48 the next day to possibly assist police with moving the body of a young male from the slopes of Cheddar Gorge. Two team members went to the gorge to provide technical advice and assistance. No further resources were required. ASSAR was stood down at 20.57.

24 ASC Log no. 618 ASSAR was contacted by the police concerning an injured climber in Cheddar Gorge. ASSARs Tech Team were put on standby at 18.13 and called out 7 minutes later. As team members were arriving, helicopter Rescue 188 from St Athan successfully winched the casualty. The team was stood down at 19.00.

23 ASC Log no. 611 Avon and Somerset Police contacted ASSAR at 15.28 concerning a despondent missing female in the Cheddar Gorge area. The team was put on standby immediately but stood down at 15.47 as the person was located.

22 ASC Log no. 834 Avon & Somerset Police contacted ASSAR at 21.51 requesting the team undertake a search for a high-risk missing elderly man in the Castle Cary area. The team was called out at 22.24 but stood down en-route at 22.43 as new information emerged. The next day, 21/09/15, the team was put on standby at 12.54, then called out at 13.58. The team searched areas and was stood down at 18.14 after the missing male was found.

21 ASC Log no. 267 ASSAR was contacted as 11.33 with an urgent request for assistance with a search south of Bath for a missing child. The team was immediately called out. The police helicopter was requested at the same time and was able to assist with directing police at the scene to find the missing child safe and well. The team was stood down at 12.00.

20 ASC Log no. 188 ASSAR was contacted by Avon & Somerset Police at 10.39  requesting assistance with a high risk missing person in the Chipping Sodbury area. While discussions were taking place with ASSARs Search & Rescue Incident Controller the missing person was located safe and well by the police, no action was required by the team.

19 ASC Log no. 482. Concern grew during the day for the whereabouts of a high risk missing male in Radstock. ASSAR was contacted by the police requesting help with searching steep woodland in the surrounding countryside. ASSAR was called out at 18.15. Two parties deployed into separate wooded areas; one party of specialist searchers had steep, dense woodland and an open area of grassland to cover while the other party consisted of rope access specialists as they also had quarry areas to search. The missing person was not found in either area and the team was stood down at 22.42.

18 ASC Log No 686 ASSAR was contacted at 17.25 concerning a high risk missing person in the Frome area. The person was suspected of being in woodland and ASSAR was called out to search the area. The missing person was not found in this location meaning the police could continue other lines of investigation. The team was stood down at 20.15.

17 ASC Log 903 ASSAR was put on standby at 22.23 following a request from the police after a member of the public reported seeing something in the air above Pucklechurch, near Bristol, believed to be a parachute. Police responded and found a crashed drone. ASSAR was stood down minutes later at 22.38.

16 ASC log 586 ASSAR was contacted by Avon & Somerset Police concerning a member of the public stuck on a cliff face in Avon Gorge. A Search and Rescue Incident Controller from ASSAR attended the scene to liaise with attending emergency services. A climber was helped by the Fire Service meaning the specialist rescue skills of ASSAR were not required.

15 The team was called out by Avon and Somerset Police to help search for a high-risk missing person in the Arnos Vale area of Bristol at 13.08. ASSAR members deployed with the police to search a woodland area to start with. The ASSAR members then moved to another area to assist the police with their overall search plan. ASSAR was stood down at 18.30 pending further discussions with the police. Sadly the missing person was found deceased the next day outside of the search area.

14 ASC Log 311 ASSAR was contacted by police at 11.13 concerning a non-cooperative male on the cliff edge in Avon Gorge. ASSARs tech team was called out immediately. The person was moved to a place of safety while the team were en route. ASSAR was stood down at 11.44.

13 ASC Log No. 796 ASSAR was called out at 20.33 following a request from Avon & Somerset Police regarding a high risk missing person. The missing person’s vehicle had been found in Stockhill Woods car park, near Priddy on the Mendip Hills. Specialist search teams deployed in to the woodlands. All teams were urgently called back the car park as the missing person had returned to this area and was in urgent need of medical attention. ASSAR members carried out the required casualty care and then accompanied the police and casualty to hospital. ASSAR was stood down at 22.23.

12 ASC log no. 1033 (08/06/15).  The police control room contacted ASSARs Search and Rescue Incident Controller requesting assistance at 00:16 hrs.  A young vulnerable female was reported missing from an address in the Yeovil area of South Somerset. The team was put on stand by and then called out at 00:58.  The specific task was to search woodland and a river bank near to the home address. The casualty turned up safe and well at 01:52; and the team was stood down.

11 ASC log no. 551 ASSAR was contacted by SW Ambulance Service via Avon & Somerset Police requesting assistance to move an injured male from the top of Cheddar Gorge. ASSAR was called out at 14.32. Working with a paramedic team members assessed the casualty, treated him and formulated a plan for moving him to a place where he could be transferred to a road ambulance. The casualty, accompanied by the paramedic, was placed in an ASSAR 4×4 ambulance and moved to the bottom of the gorge. ASSAR personnel walked the other members of the group to safety. The team was stood down at 16.06

10 ASSAR was put on standby at 14.56 and then called out soon after to help search for a high risk and vulnerable missing female in the Hanham area of Bristol. Three specialist search teams were deployed for a bankside and woodland search. ASSAR was stood down at 19.13 pending further investigations by the police. The missing female was located safe and well by the police later that evening.

09 ASC log 288. An agitated, despondent male was seem leaving a café on the sea front at Portishead, giving the police cause for concerns over his safety. The police called the Coast Guard, police helicopter, and put A&S SAR on standby at 14:25 Hrs.  A control room was set up in the café with the police, Coast Guard and ASSAR. The Coast Guard searched the tidal foreshore around Portishead and the police helicopter was flown over a local search pattern, but nothing was found. Due to lack of any hard evidence, the incident was closed at 16:42 Hrs and the team stood down.

08 ASC log no: 653. The team SARIC was contacted by the police control room at 16:13 hrs, requesting assistance with a despondent male who was reported as being on the outside of the safety fence at the top of Avon Gorge. ASSARs Tech rescue team was called out at 16:31 and asked to offer technical assistance to police officers on scene and HART paramedics. The male was recovered to a place of safety and the team was stood down at 17:43 hrs.