Swimmer sparks coastguard alert at Sunderland beach
A swimmer who appeared to be getting into difficulty at Sunderland's coast sparked an emergency alert today.
The Sunderland Coastguard rescue team was called just after 4pm to assist Northumbria Police with a person struggling in the water around the outfall pipe off Seaburn beach.
The team attended, and a witness told them a man had returned to the shore and dried off with a towel while speaking to the police.
The swimmer then left the scene, and the coastguard rescue team were stood down.