West Cornwall Search & Rescue Team

23/07/2026

A couple of recent call-outs to update you on…

📟 CALL-OUT: 25/06/26 – Looe

We were contacted by Devon & Cornwall Police to assist in a search for a high-risk missing person in the Looe area. East Cornwall Search & Rescue Team had already been searching through the night. Working alongside teams from Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team - Plymouth and Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team - Tavistock the missing person was located safe and well.

📟 CALL-OUT: 01/07/26 – Cusgarne

We were contacted by Devon & Cornwall Police to assist in the search for a high-risk missing person with dementia. Thirteen volunteer call-out members deployed to search probable areas, working alongside a team from Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England.

Thankfully, following a public appeal by Devon & Cornwall Police, the missing person was located by a member of the public and safely reunited with their family by police officers.

These incidents highlight the value of partnership working between the emergency services, volunteer search and rescue teams, specialist search dog teams and the public to help bring vulnerable people home safely.

📷 Image taken by a volunteer call-out member

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All of our team members are volunteers. We're available 24/7, 365 days a year to assist the emergency services in searching for missing, vulnerable, and injured people across West Cornwall.

We rely entirely on public donations to continue our work.

To support us, please consider making a donation: https://westcornwallsar.co.uk/support-us/

We are proud members of Mountain Rescue England and Wales and the British Cave Rescue Council - BCRC.

We have recently received the King's Award for Voluntary Service.

22/07/2026

Last month, our volunteer call-out members and trainees took part in a Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX), focusing on locating a 'casualty', providing immediate medical care, and safely evacuating them from steep and challenging terrain. Take a look at some of the photos below.

Mining is woven into Cornwall's history, leaving a landscape scattered with countless mine workings. While many shafts have been capped or made safe, others remain open and continue to pose a risk. Each year, the team is called to a small number of incidents involving people or dogs that have fallen into or become trapped around mine workings.

To respond to these incidents, the team maintains a specialist rope rescue capability, working alongside Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service where required. We also use these skills in other challenging environments, where steep or unstable terrain makes conventional access impossible.

Every team member trains regularly in rope rescue techniques and safe systems of work, ensuring we can safely access, treat and evacuate casualties while protecting both the casualty and our volunteers.

Regular training like this ensures we're ready to respond safely, professionally and effectively when our community needs us most.

22/07/2026

20/07/2026

🤝 Working Together to Save Lives 🚨

Members of West Cornwall Search & Rescue recently had the pleasure of training alongside the White Watch crew from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service.

As a registered charity, our team trains to Rescue 3 Europe Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technician (Module 3) standard—the same operational standard used by Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service for their specialist water rescue teams. Training together like this means that if we're ever called to the same incident, we can work safely, efficiently and seamlessly alongside one another.

The evening covered a wide range of practical skills, including:
🛟 Inflation tube techniques
🚤 Tethered pulley systems for rescue sleds
🥾 Mud wading equipment
🎯 Throw bag techniques

There was also plenty of opportunity to discuss equipment, operational procedures and share experiences between both teams.

A big thank you to White Watch for hosting such a worthwhile training session. The welcome, professionalism and willingness to share knowledge made for an excellent evening, and we really appreciate the time and effort everyone put into it.

Training together like this strengthens the relationships that matter before they're ever needed. Whether we're firefighters or volunteers, we all have the same aim: to provide the best possible response when our communities need us most.

We look forward to working with Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service again and to many more joint training opportunities in the future.

05/07/2026

😃🚁😃

Today we have joined forces with our neighbours at West Cornwall Search and Rescue again, this time at a Search and Rescue stand at the annual Helifest at Scorrier House near Redruth.

As well as the fantastic Cornwall Air Ambulance, you can meet your local blue light services where children can explore the various emergency vehicles, watch live demonstrations, listen to fantastic local live music, grab a bite to eat from local Cornish traders, enjoy fairground rides and much more.

If that wasn’t enough - Adventure 001 will be offering their helicopter flight experiences throughout the day.

Come and meet the team and see some of our equipment, and have a great family day out.

📷 Team members from East and West teams ready to meet you at Helifest.

🆘 In an emergency dial 9️⃣9️⃣9️⃣ and ask Devon and Cornwall Police for Mountain Rescue.

How you can help East Cornwall Search and Rescue Team...

East Cornwall SRT is a local charity that provides an inland search and rescue service for lost, missing and injured people across East Cornwall and further afield when required. It is 💯% voluntary and relies on public support to keep the service operational.

🛒 Shop on easyfundraising.org.uk/eastcornwallsrt for us to receive free donations from online shops.

🎁 Donate or set up a fundraising event using Givey.com/eastcornwallsrt .

West Cornwall Search & Rescue Team Cornwall Air Ambulance

01/07/2026

🚁 West Cornwall Search & Rescue Team at Helifest 2026! 🚨

We’re excited to be attending Cornwall Air Ambulance's Helifest this Saturday at Scorrier House – come and say hello! 👋

Our team is on site showcasing some of the specialist kit we use in search and rescue incidents across West Cornwall, and we're happy to chat about what we do, how we train, and how you can stay safe while enjoying the outdoors.

Whether you're curious about volunteering or just fancy sitting in one of our response vehicles – we’d love to see you.

Big thanks to the Helifest organisers for having us. It’s great to be part of such a fantastic community event celebrating emergency services and everything they do. 🧡

📷 Image of our team on a previous call-out alongside the Cornwall Air Ambulance

17/06/2026

A massive thank you to Macsalvors for their incredibly generous donation of a brand new Hyundai Generator to West Cornwall Search & Rescue Team.

Their staff have been fantastic throughout – friendly, helpful, and supportive from start to finish.

This generator will be a huge asset to the team, providing reliable power for lighting, communications equipment, battery charging, and our search base operations, especially during incidents in remote locations and prolonged searches.

Support like this helps us continue to respond safely and effectively when our communities need us most.

Thank you again, Macsalvors – your generosity is greatly appreciated by all of our volunteers! 👏

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All our team members are volunteers. We’re available 24/7, 365 days a year to support the emergency services in searching for missing, vulnerable, and injured people across West Cornwall.

We rely entirely on public donations to continue our work.

If you’d like to support us, please consider donating: https://westcornwallsar.co.uk/support-us/

14/06/2026

Last Thursday, we had the opportunity to come together with our Search and Rescue (SAR) partners as we prepare for the busy season ahead.

Hosted by WCSAR team member, Matt, at Pendennis CIC, the evening brought together teams from RNLI Lifeguards, HM Coastguard, Mountain Rescue, Surf Lifesavers and our local NHS Community First Responders.

It was a valuable chance to meet, train together, and gain a better understanding of how each organisation operates within the wider emergency response network.

The highlight of the evening was a mass casualty evacuation exercise involving 14 casualties, giving us the opportunity to put our skills into practice and test our communication, teamwork, and joint response capabilities in a realistic scenario.

A huge thank you to everyone involved. We came away with invaluable experience, strengthened partnerships, and an even greater appreciation of the role each team plays in keeping our communities safe.

We're looking forward to working alongside our fellow emergency services throughout the summer.



RNLI South Cornwall lifeguards Mountain Rescue England and Wales Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust Falmouth CFRs HM Coastguard Area 11 Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Coastal Safety Gyllyngvase Surf Life Saving Club Surf Life Saving Cornwall Pendennis Leisure

08/06/2026

🏅 Good Luck, Steve!

One of our volunteers, Steve, is taking on a fundraising challenge in aid of the team.

Conquering the The Dartmoor Crossing ultra running event!

Steve is part of the team that responds to searches for missing and vulnerable people across West Cornwall. Alongside his volunteer commitment, he's now putting himself to the test to help raise vital funds for our charity.

We'd be grateful for any support you can give him along the way.

🧡 Donate here:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/steve-tuck-2

Thank you for helping us continue our work in the community.