Man rescued and left 'hypothermic' by dive into River Wear on Easter Sunday

Port of Sunderland water patrol officers recovered the man from the river close to Panns Bank after the alarm was raised on Easter Sunday, April 4, at 6.10pm.

The RNLI volunteers called in to help said it had appeared the man had drank alcohol before the incident, which also saw Northumbria Police and the North East Ambulance Service drafted in.

A Sunderland Coastguard Rescue Team spokesperson said: “The team were paged to reports of a person in the water in the vicinity of Panns Bank.

“As we arrived on scene the casualty had been recovered from the water by Port of Sunderland water patrol officers using the their rigid inflatable boat.

"He became hypothermic and was cared for by Coastguard Officers and police.

“The casualty was then handed over into the care of the ambulance service.”

The RNLI team launched its D Class lifeboat following reports of someone in the water close to the Wearmouth Bridge.

A spokesperson added: “Once it was confirmed the casualty was all secure our volunteers were stood down and cleared to return to station.

“It appears the casualty had been drinking alcohol and decided to dive into the river from Panns Bank.

"Thankfully this all happened in front of the patrol boat and they were able to support the casualty until the lifeboat arrived.”

The Coastguard has said anyone reporting an incident on the coast should call 999 and ask for the service.

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today.

Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest on SAFC and new puzzles every day.

With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Click here to subscribe.