Four-year-old boy missing for more than half an hour leads to emergency service search of beach

A boy was missing for more than 30 minutes on a busy beach as families hit the coast during the heatwave.
The call out about the missing boy was made following his disappearance from Littlehaven beach in South Shields.The call out about the missing boy was made following his disappearance from Littlehaven beach in South Shields.
The call out about the missing boy was made following his disappearance from Littlehaven beach in South Shields.

South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade (SSVLB) and Sunderland Coastguard Rescue Team were called out to Littlehaven Beach in South Shields after it was reported the four-year-old had disappeared.

A spokesperson for the SSVLB said: “Members proceeded to the beach and made contact with family who had made the call.

“The child had not been seen for 35 minutes.

The call out about the missing boy was made following his disappearance from Littlehaven beach in South Shields.The call out about the missing boy was made following his disappearance from Littlehaven beach in South Shields.
The call out about the missing boy was made following his disappearance from Littlehaven beach in South Shields.
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“With assistance from Sunderland CRT team members began a detailed search of the beach area and shortly afterwards the child was found safe and well on another part of the beach.”

The incident, at 12.50pm on Wednesday, comes in the wake of an appeal by Northumbria Police for families to keep a close eye on youngsters after officers dealt with a series of reports about missing children along the same stretch of coastline and south in Sunderland.

Police confirmed on social media that the force had received an increased number of calls, including 10 reports of young children going missing after becoming separated from their families at the beach, and asked families to be vigilant.

All children involved were safely reunited with their loved ones.

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The Coastguard team also echoed the appeal after the service was called in to help following the incidents.

The Coastguard has added people should remember to dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard in all coastal emergencies.