Mendip Family Raise Funds
A Mendip family has raised £2000 for A&S SAR as thanks for their son’s life being saved. Their son was driving a vintage tractor that overturned, trapping him and causing extensive internal injuries. Duncan Massey, chairman of A&S SAR, attended in his role as a volunteer First Responder with Great Western Ambulance Service. He was first on the scene to give life saving treatment. The family held a black tie ball recently to raise the money. Shaun Pearce is making a good recovery after the accident. A&S SAR are extremely grateful for the donation.
Posted on 16 / 11 / 2010
Cheddar Rescue Article
12/11/10 The Technical Rescue team from A&S SAR helped two stranded climbers in Cheddar Gorge on Sunday 7th November, log no. 516. The rescue featured in This is Somerset on-line news, read the full article here 
Posted on 12 / 11 / 2010
Over 3000 hours of Search and Rescue
27/10/10 The A&S SAR were called-out by Avon and Somerset Constabulary a total of 67 times during the year (7/09 – 8/10) on a wide variety of operations. This amounted to a total 3,350 operational hours helping people far from help. And this doesn’t even include training and administrative time.
Operations ranged from searching for and then rescuing an elderly gentleman from a cliff edge who had been missing for two days, locating suicide victims in remote rural areas and searching through the snow for a lady missing from hospital.
The A&S SAR emergency service co-responded with Great Western Ambulance Service, Avon Fire and Rescue Service and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service during the year. These multi-agency incidents are when the diverse skills of the different services work together. The volunteers in A&S SAR, the lead search and rescue organisation in Avon and Somerset, bring their essential and unique set of skills from a wide variety of backgrounds, combined with their search and rescue training, to work in partnership with the other emergency services.
To see how A&S SAR has helped people far from help alongside its partner emergency services please click here
Posted on 27 / 10 / 2010
A&S SAR member at ICE SAR
20/10/10 A member of Avon & Somerset Search and Rescue is at the international conference ICE SAR this week. The Rescue 2010 conference is being held in Iceland. Representatives from teams around the world can attend lectures, practical demonstrations and field trips.
All aspects of search and rescue will be looked at with lectures that reflect on incidents from around the globe: Haiti Earthquake, Volcanic Eruptions and Civil Protection, Urban Search and Rescue Capacity in Pakistan.
Rich Sawyer, from A&S SAR, will be focusing on the medical aspects of the conference to support his role in the organisation. A feature on the conference will be posted on his return.
For more details click here
Posted on 20 / 10 / 2010
Local MP Tessa Munt meets A&S SAR
05/09/10 The Wells MP Tessa Munt spent an adrenaline filled Sunday morning in Cheddar Gorge with Avon and Somerset Search and Rescue. Tessa met with the team to learn more about the vital search and rescue work of the organisation before abseiling the world famous gorge. She said ‘I was keen to meet them in their environment rather than in a meeting room’ and described her first time ever abseiling as ‘fantastic!’
Avon and Somerset Search and Rescue is an entirely voluntary organisation performing a challenging and varied service. The team was called out a total of 67 times in the last 12 months resulting in 3350 operational hours. Ms Munt said ‘the specialist service these volunteers provide is amazing, they work in the most extreme situations with fantastic skills and it’s important they get the level of recognition they deserve.’ The MP said she wanted to ensure that the Search and Rescue Team receives as much help as possible to deliver its specialist service which complements the regular emergency services and promised to raise this with the Home Office.
The MP visited as part of the handover of the patronage of the team from Lord Bath to his son. The south side of Cheddar Gorge is owned by Lord Bath who was instrumental in setting up the original cliff rescue team that later became Avon & Somerset Search and Rescue. Hugh Cornwell, Director of Cheddar Caves and Gorge attended on behalf of the Longleat Estate.
Posted on 07 / 09 / 2010