Category: Others > Search and Rescue

The line up of vehicles at the rescue base in Kelso. The base is a garage with three doors and is no longer suitable for us by the service. There are no toilet facilities, the vehicles only just fit in and there is very limited storage space for equipment. Other equipment is stored at another site one mile away which slows down response times to rescue calls. They are currently fundraising £450k for a new purpose built base that will meet the needs of the organisation.

Based at Kelso, Scotland. The team respond to call outs made via the police to searches in the Scottish Borders. Working on the boundary between two countries brings its unique challenges, such as identifying which side of the border a found body was on (and therefore which police service will investigate it) and working with neighbouring North of Tyne SAR who are under the Mountain Rescue England and Wales umbrella rather than the Scottish equivalent.

Used by the volunteer rescuers based at Kelso.

Call sign Reiver Zulu, this was new in June 2018 and replaced a S registration Ford Transit County

Previously used by Edale Mountain Rescue Team

Used by the water search team of the lowlands rescue organisation

Now in preservation at the RAF Museum

Now in preservation at the RAF Museum. Previously saw service between 1961 and 1982.

The Bristow-operated Coastguard helicopter is seen here rescuing a gentlemen from the roof of a cathedral. After lowering a medic and a stretcher the man in winched up into the helicopter that is hovering over the Minster in York, drawing large crowds. The narrow spiral staircases taking visitors to the roof of the buidling are not suitable for stretchering someone down. The Coastguard provide search and rescue helicopters for the whole country and practice every few years winching someone off the roof of York Minster.

Lowland Rescue / Water Rescue unit

The Authorities edition of the vehicle with rescue drone signs and the drone

This aircraft is a temporary replacement for the damaged Islander G-CIAS. A permanent replacement is due in Summer/Autumn 2017. The original aircraft was damaged beyond repair in an emergency landing due to engine problems in November 2013. The yellow rear wing was salvaged and attached to this temporary replacement. Only basic SAR equipment is fitted to this Islander, with a lot more emphasis on looking out of the windows rather than at screens.

It carries a Zodiac MilPro inflatable boat in the back with a 40hp outboard motor. It was funded by the Department for Transport to Surrey Search & Rescue as part of the national flood rescue capability

Operational Command Unit, providing a mobile base for the water rescue crew. The vehicle seen before entering service, with the remains of its previous livery from National Grid

York Rescue Boat in action

York Rescue Boat volunteers on a training exercise to rescue someone from the river and transport them to a reception team on the bank.

York Rescue Boat during one of its first operation shifts in Spring 2015. Also show are the team being briefed at the start of the shift.

Surrey SAR VW Amarok Lowland Rescue vehicle. This 2015 4x4 replaces their old Land Rover Defender. The car is suited to travelling across the county on normal roads but also has good off road capability where required. A fold-down screen in the Truckman rear allows briefing to be given or other information to be displayed - such as the view from a drone (shown). The total cost for the vehicle was £32,500 and was met by the county's Police and Crime Commissioner.

York Rescue Boat Land Rover Defender in operation

Bay Search and Rescue Diamondback Airboat built in Florida and a common sight on the Everglades

Bay Search and Rescue Land Rover Discovery

British Red Cross Mercedes Unimog incident control and communications support unit. This Search and Rescue vehicle has a personalised registration plate. Notice the size of the steps to get into the rear! It is owned by the Scottish Government and after a spell with Mountain Rescue, the Red Cross are the current custodians of it.

Sussex Search and Rescue VW Crafter incident control vehicle, also carrying Sussex Police branding. Notice the cycles stored in the rear.

York Rescue Boat Land Rover Defender 110 - This is the charity's only vehicle. It was donated by a local dealership to help the charity raise its profile during it's first few months of operation. It is used for publicity and will develop into a patrol and rescue vehicle. The purchase of a boat and training of volunteers will follow. York Rescue Boat is focussed on the safety of the rivers in and around York. They aim to achieve this by means of a patrol and rescue boat, combined with a programme of education. From the rear The winch The charity's logo on the bonnet Another view of the Land Rover

Defence Helicopter Flying School - demonstration of water rescue capability. They train Search and Rescue pilots and personnel. This is a Eurocopter Squirrel and is based at the HQ at RAF Shawbury, near Shrewsbury.

Defence Helicopter Flying School - demonstration of manoeuvrability over land. Defence Helicopter Flying School. Defence Helicopter Flying School. Defence Helicopter Flying School.

This anonymous-looking Vauxhall Movano LWB has blue flashing lights and 'rescue' wording on the light bar on the roof. Also shown is a closer view of the roof shows the Underwater Search Team branding. The vehicle is operated by SARbot. Also shown is the rear view, with dog cages in the back for specialist water search dogs.

This Incidence Response Search Team Ford Mondeo is operated by UK Defence Sec. It is registered as an ambulance and crewed by medics contracted to respond to serious incidents. It also carries search and rescue markings.

Surrey SAR use this Land Rover Defender for rescue work. It uses blue lights and is registered as an ambulance. Also shown is a closer view of the front of the vehicle, including the winch. Also shown is a view of the rear, including the equipment trailer. The team wait by their vehicle as a Coastguard rescue helicopter come in to land.

G-REDP This is a Eurocopter AS332L2 that is operated by Bond. It is used for rescue operations in the North Sea area. Also shown is a view of the craft from the side. The rescue helicopter on a low level test flight, rippled by the heat haze. The aircraft undergoing routine servicing in its hanger.

Watersafe UK use this Citroen Relay as a search and rescue and water rescue incident unit. Also shown is the rear view of the blue-light vehicle.

Bay Search and Rescue use this 2007 Renault Master minibus as an ambulance.

A Mercedes Sprinter 4x4 that is used for search and rescue work by SARbot UK. They are a Dorset-based water rescue charity. Also shown is the rear view of the van. There is also an identical sister vehicle with registration YT12 GYB.