THE lifeboat crew from the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) Beachley station were called to the aid of two bridge engineers on the Second Severn Crossing last week.

The engineers had become stuck on Wednesday 6th December whilst working on a bridge gantry and had called for help.

Due to the very low tide, the smaller Lifeboat SARA 3 ‘Swift and Bold’ was launched, almost at the end of the slipway, and made for the bridge.

Once the lifeboat was on its way, the engineers abseiled down to the English Stones rocks and walked across the rocks to meet the lifeboat and clamber in before the tide covered the rocks.

A spokesman for Severn River Crossing PLC said: “It was a planned evacuation method and all staff are trained to perform this escape protocol.

“It is the first time in its history that the rapid access train has broken down and was safety managed at all times. SRC is very appreciative of the rapid and professional response of SARA.”

SARA’s efforts are not restricted to the water either, with four members of the SARA Chepstow Land Search Team recently completing training thanks to a donation from Chepstow Garden Centre.

They were trained as tutors for the National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS) after attending a course on the edge of the Black Mountains where they learned a variety of teaching techniques, suitable to instructing all ages.

This will enable the team to qualify all team members to the NNAS Silver Standard.

SARA Beachley Land Search manager Kathy Donaldson said: “The ability to navigate accurately, and to identify precisely where you have found something, is vital when we are conducting missing person searches.

“This NNAS Silver Award is becoming national standard for search and rescue teams.

“We are very grateful that Chepstow Garden Centre was able to support us in this way.”