About Search and Rescue

Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue (BLSAR) is a local organisation that is the primary search resource for Thames Valley Police in Berkshire. We are a team of highly trained volunteers who can use specialist skills to search for high-risk vulnerable missing persons.

Lowland Search and Rescue is one arm of the United Kingdom’s Search and Rescue (UK SAR) provision comprising many other capabilities such as Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Mountain Rescue, Cave Rescue, and more. All of which share similar features under a charitable structure.

A common objective: to locate people who are in distress, potential distress or missing, provide for their initial medical care or other needs and recover them to a place of safety.
Majority of funding is through charitable donations.
Most are majority staffed/crewed by volunteers who give up their time in support of others.

Lowland Rescue is the governing body that oversees and amalgamates all the regional Lowland SAR groups. They set the national standards and protocols under which BLSAR, and all other county teams must work to.

BLSAR operational members are trained to national standards and fully equipped to assist the Police in SAR operations for missing and vulnerable persons in lowland areas (including inland water rescue and civil contingency operations). We are able to operate as a single team or jointly with other teams and across Force boundaries. The teams are equipped and trained to provide initial advanced medical care and the administering of appropriate medication when necessary.

The "Lowland Rescue" mark is a trademark, and "From Hill to High Water" is a registered trademark of the Association of Lowland Search and Rescue.