Category: Others > Search and Rescue

In this scene Stornoway Coastguard S-92 RESCUE 100 is seen with an ambulance and Lochaber's Mountain Rescue minibus. G-CGMU Rescue 100 in flight

Royal Navy Rescue 177 is seen here transferring a patient to an ambulance after an avalanche. SF11 MXY The Scottish Ambulance Service ambulance departs on blue lights. The rescue helicopter then takes off and returns to base.

G-CIAS Channel Islands Air Search operate this 1982 Islander aircraft for Search and Rescue work (with personalised registration). CIAS is a 24/7 charity that assists in saving lives at sea and is supported entirely by volunteers. The Channel Islands are a distance away from government-funded French and English rescue helicopters and so created their own service in 1980. The aircraft in its purpose built hanger on Guernsey. It was built in 1982 and came to the service in 1992 with many modifications made. These include extended nose housing for radar, extended wing tips and long range fuel tanks. Another view of G-CIAS ready for action. With callsign 'Airsearch One', it can travel at up to 140 knots and can stay in the air for up to 4 hours 30 minutes. It carries out sea and land searches, including mainland France and England. Also shown is the rear view of the aircraft called Lions' Pride. It can take off with just 100m visibility and the time from call to airborne is about 25 minutes. This includes the time taken for the volunteers to drive to the hanger - a journey that is helped by the use of green flashing lights on their private cars. The Forward Looking Infa Red (FLIR) pod shown cost £200,000 to purchase and was a massive sum to pay out for a small charitable organisation. However the benefits of having this save lives. The underside of the aircraft as seen from the sea. The charity use the tag line 'The Lifeboats' Eyes in the Sky'. Also shown is a close view of the four speakers used as a public address system or siren. Inside the aircraft. This compact space is for five team members: a pilot, a search director and observers. There is no capability to rescue or transport casualties. The rear observer seats. The windows are bulged outwards to allow the observers to look straight down. A small chute at the bottom of the photograph allows sea flares to be placed on the sea as markers. Behind the rear seats is an inflatable life raft that can the pushed out of the aircraft to be used by up to 11 people in the sea. In this staged photograph, G-CIAS is in flight, joined by the Channel Islands' other rescue services.

Bay Search and Rescue use this flat bed Mercedes Benz truck for all-terrain rescue work.

A Volvo FL6 / Emergency One truck that was in service with Cumbria Fire. It is now part of Bay Rescue's fleet, carrying our search and rescue missions in the Morecambe Bay area. Also shown is the rear view of the multi-purpose truck with flat bed back and crane.

Hebrides Search & Rescue use this Land Rover to respond to incidents on the isles of Lewis and Harris. This service began in 2011. Also shown is the rear view of the Land Rover looking out onto the beautiful but wild terrain.

Here you can see the Venturers Response Team with a fleet of a range of vehicles that are designed for on and off road use. They are a Land Rover, a Range Rover (JOY 125Y), a All-Terrain Vehicle and an Pinzgauer.

Here a Land Rover rescue vehicle from Venturers SAR arrives to rescue a car stranded in floodwater.

This Renault Master van is used by Wiltshire Search and Rescue. The rear view also shows the matching trailer which includes two canoes on the roof.

This imported Mazda van is part of the Venturers SAR Flood Response team. The vehicle was manufactured in 1995. The flood team respond to major floods and have saved lives all around the UK. This van is not equipped with blue lights.

This is a SAR Land Rover Defender 110. It is liveried as Dorset Search and Rescue, an organisation formed in 2004. However this vehicle is not part of their fleet. It was used by a civilian international major incident advisor assisting Dorset Police and MOD in running a pre-Olympic training exercise in Dorset. Unfortunately the livery was not approved and neither the use of blue lights outside the MOD training grounds in Lulworth. It carries blue and amber flashing lights that are used independently as required. Since this photograph was taken, the livery and blue lights have been removed from this vehicle. Also shown is the rear view, with the roof rack for carrying bulky equipment.

This 1982 Range Rover ambulance is operated by Venturers Search and Rescue. It is fitted with a winch and double blue flashing light on the roof. The winch is shown in use here as a team member extends it to assist in a very snowy environment.

During a dramatic training exercise, a Volvo C303 belonging to The League of Venturers Search and Rescue reaches the top of a steep hill of loose dirt on a training exercise. A closer view shows the vehicle’s blue lights.

Dorset Search and Rescue operate this search control unit based on an Optare Metrorider minibus. It has a green and white checkered band down the side and no blue lights fitted.

This is a Land Rover Defender 90 TD5 used by Dorset Search and Rescue, based at Dorchester. It carries no blue lights.

This Land Rover is part of SARA's (Severn Area Rescue Association) fleet. It is shown here with some of the equipment carried on show.

This Iveco Daily van is used by the the UK International Search and Rescue Team in conjunction with the West Midlands Fire Service. The UK-ISAR is registered with the United Nations and is on call 365 days a year to respond to humanitarian disasters or accidents anywhere in the world.

This is a British Red Cross Search and Rescue ambulance. It has been adapted from a standard Land Rover and has been fitted with blue lights and a battenburg livery.

The rear view showing the equipment stowed in the rear and the roof rack holding a lightweight stretcher.

In this action shot RAF SAR helicopter "Rescue 137" is seen airlifting a casualty from a road accident. It takes off from the A87 in Scotland and travels to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. Many other road-going emergency vehicles can be seen assisting.

This is one of two Hagglund BV 206s that are operated by Bay Search and Rescue at Morecambe Bay, Cumbria. These tracked articulated vehicles can cope with extremely boggy conditions, and replaced a hovercraft that was used in the large tidal bay. The Haggs can travel up to 52 km/h on the road and 3 km/h on water.

This is the second Hagglund operated by Bay SAR. It is fitted with a different trailer to the one above, this time having equipment storage and a crane. It is fitted with a Mercedes-Benz 3-litre diesel engine, which when combined with the tracked wheels can climb slopes up to 45 degrees.

Bay SAR also operate this Land Rover which can tow a trailer with a rib.

Wiltshire Search and Rescue (WILSAR) operate two of these folding cycles. They are Swiss Bike LXs by Montague and due to the hinge below the seat can easily be transported in the back of a car or van. The bikes will be used in urban and rural locations for spotting missing people.

This is an Iveco Daily that is used by Hampshire SAR as an incident control vehicle. It isn't fitted with any emergency warning equipment.

Here are two of SARA's emergency rescue boats in action.

This is a Land Rover Defender that is used by Severn Area Rescue Association and a SAR ambulance. It is fitted with blue flashing lights, amber beacons and an ambulance-style colour-scheme.

This is a LDV 200 Pilot van that is also used by SARA for emergency rescue work.

This is an example of the colour-scheme used by Royal Navy rescue helicopters. They are part of the fleet air arm and are based at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall and Prestwick in Scotland.

This vessel, Knight Errant Venturer, is used by Venturers Serach & Rescue. This organisation is run for teenagers and operates in the Solent to help people and animals in danger or distress.

This is a Mercedes Benz Sprinter van that is used by Trossachs SAR team in Scotland. It was donated by Strathclyde Fire & Rescue after being removed from front line services with them. It can carry up to eight search and rescue dogs and is used at incidents across Strathcylde and at major incidents anywhere in Scotland.

Based at MOD Forthside in Stirling, this ex-Scottish Ambulance Service Renault Master ambulance belongs to Trossachs SAR. It is kitted out with ambulance equipment and is used for on-site first aid, as well as transporting personnel to incidents.

TCZ 5218 This Northern Ireland-registered Land Rover Defender is used for SAR work. Notice the bespoke enclosed roof rack for equipment. The rear view of the same Land Rover.

In this action shot a Royal Navy SAR Sea King helicopter has landed to transfer a patient to a waiting Scottish Ambulance Service emergency ambulance.

This Land Rover is used by Cornwall Search and Rescue Team. The rear view of the same Land Rover.

NK03 AXJis an Iveco van used as a mobile control unit by the Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue Team. The side door provides access to the control area where there is room for two controllers and five personnel. Additionally, the awning can be extend to provide a weatherproof tem briefing room or to provide multi casualty care. The rear of the van is used for storage of equipment an is separate to the control area. It hold a variety of medical, climbing ,search and rescue equipment as well as a generator for power and a compressor to extend the vehicles communication mast which is fitted to the right hand side of the van.

This is a double-exposure photograph of a Vauxhall Combo diesel van used by the SAR company Sebev. It is used as an Incident Support Unit and carries pop-up shelters for major incidents, as well as a generator, floodlights and fire extinguishers among other things.

This Iveco Daily is also used by Sebev. It is an Incident Control Unit which is fitted with a hydraulic mast, internal control area with radios and computer mapping system. The rear compartment holds rescue equipment including fire extinguishers, medical equipment, life jackets, generator, cones and more. It is liveried in red and yellow battenburg markings.

Here is a Land Rover Defender belonging to 'Global Rescue Services'. It is liveried as a Search & Rescue Team vehicle and has blue flashing lights fitted. The roof rack also has a top-box for weatherproof storage of equipment. The familiar spare wheel has been removed from the back door.

This SAR Land Rover Discovery has minimal livery and is fitted with blue flashing lights on the roof and front grille.

This is a 'Severn Area Rescue Association' Land Rover Discovery TDi. It is stationed at Beachley and is mainly used at marine incidents. SARA provides in-shore rescue boat and land search services for the Severn Estuary and River Severn.

Another of their vehicles is this Land Rover 110 (long wheel base). It is stationed at and used around Sharpness.

This picture shows members of Trossachs Search & Rescue Team in an eight-wheeled off-road vehicle. Even the SAR dogs have matching hi-viz orange overalls. Here is the team Land Rover in the sort of terrain it is designed for. In the foreground is a team member and canine assistant. The team are not mountain rescue personnel but carry out most of their work at low level and at disaster-type incidents. G263 EOL A close-up shot of the team G-reg Land Rover. There is lots of space to carry personnel and equipment in the vehicles, on the roof and even on the front bumper. Thanks to Trossachs SAR for supplying these three pictures.

Here is a vehicle used by the North of Tyne Search and Rescue Team. The Ford Transit is large enough to carry lots of equipment and people around narrow roads and off-road tracks. A second North of Tyne SRT vehicle, this time a Land Rover.

Now we have a look inside a Search and Rescue van. Lots of climbing equipment can be seen but unfortunately no room for a patient to lie down.

Here a RN rescue Sea King (Rescue 177) is joined by a yellow RAF rescue Sea King (Rescue 122) from RAF Valley, Anglesey. It is very rare to see both services' helicopters together.

A RN Sea King Helicopter at Bristol Harbour.

The helicopter winches a simulated casualty to safety.

This RN Sea King Helicopter is from RNAS Cauldrose. The other side of the aircraft.

Below the helicopter are an RAF Mountain Rescue Land Rover from RAF Leeming and an Across Jumbulance for transporting terminally ill patients on holiday (Across is a charity). The pictures were taken on Sunday 30/01/00 at the start of the 'Across the Roof of Britain Walk'.