PW_4_2021

Article

SARA: Independent Lifeboat & Rescue Service Colin Drewett BEM , Gloucestershire Branch We all recognise the fantastic work the RNLI does in the UK, we hear about their daring rescues, and the dedication and heroism of their crews. We hear much less about the many independent lifeboat and rescue services, who serve their local communities. There are around 100 of these independent lifeboat stations Sharpness inshore rescue station Shallow water rescue

covering the coastline of Britain. T he Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) was established in 1973 and is now the largest of the independents. They have six lifeboat and rescue stations and nearly 200 volunteer crew members. SARA provides a lifeboat search and rescue service along the tidal waters of the Bristol Channel and Severn estuary, from Newport and the Severn bridges, upstream to Gloucester. It also has stations providing rescue cover along the River Severn from Gloucester to beyond Kidderminster in the West Midlands. In addition to their maritime rescues, SARA also conducts search and rescue (SAR) on land, responding to requests for assistance from several police forces, including Gwent, Gloucestershire and West Midlands. Such is the demand for missing-persons searches, that the land-search teams now work from four SARA stations, covering an area as far out as the Cotswolds.

SARA primarily responds to call-out requests from the Coastguard, but the Sharpness crew also have a close working relationship with Gloucestershire Constabulary, particularly for missing-persons searches when the search area contains some form of water. They also provide support during flooding events, which are an increasingly-common requirement. After 40 years in the Royal Navy, I served a further 10 years with Gloucestershire Constabulary.

In this article, I am going to focus on SARA’s Sharpness inshore rescue station, where I volunteer. The station is on the Severn estuary, which can be a very dangerous stretch of water, with a tidal range that can exceed 10 metres, and a water flow sometimes reaching 12 knots. The dangers are exacerbated by sandbanks and areas of mud, that catch out people who had no intention of being in the water. Quicksand and thick mud can trap the unwary and create the need for urgent assistance, especially on a fast- rising tide. It can take as little as 40 minutes for the rising tide to cover your head. All SARA’s 35 lifeboat crew members at Sharpness are unpaid volunteers. They come from all walks of life; former police and naval officers, farmers, schoolteachers, boat builders, engineers, ambulance crews and business consultants are all current examples. What distinguishes them is a willingness to be called out for emergencies at any time of the day and night, risking their lives so that others don’t lose theirs. Because of the ever-changing nature of their patch, the crew have six lifeboats and a hovercraft. The largest, and most recent lifeboat is the Pride of Sharpness , an 8.3 metre RIB that was specifically designed to cope with local conditions. It has twin 115hp outboard engines that can power the boat to speeds of up to 36 knots and with an endurance of about 4 hours. The boat can tow casualty vessels in the fast-flowing tidal waters, which is important in this section of river, which is used by narrow boats and river cruisers. Their hovercraft provides shallow- water capability to rescue people stranded on sandbanks.

Sharpness inshore lifeboat

During my time in the police, SARA helped us with many incidents, and on retirement, I decided to offer my navy and police experience to them. I have now been a SARA volunteer for four years, first as a boat crew member, and more recently in their control room. Every call out is different, and it is the end result which is important. Those connected to an incident are always grateful of the work done by the volunteers of SARA. Being a crew member means comradeship and teamwork, with all working together for the good of the community. We are available 24/7 for tasking, with many of our wives and partners helping to raise money for SARA. Every person has a skill, and we need people to join us, so that we can continue helping others.

Rescue Hovercraft

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POLICE WORLD Vol 66 No.4, 2021