A van driver has plunged over a 100-foot cliff onto the beach below, sparking a major emergency response. Northumbria Police were called to an area near the A183 Coast Road in South Shields, which runs along Marsden Beach and the surrounding cliffs, at 6:10 a.m. this morning after a report of a concern for someone's welfare.
For reasons currently unknown, the van 'left the road and went over the cliffs on to the beach below,' the force said. At this time, police say only one person is believed to have been inside the vehicle.
Emergency Services Respond
Tynemouth RNLI and HM Coastguard were among the first to arrive and were then joined by Northumbria Police, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, and the North East Ambulance Service. Images show the van at the bottom of the cliff with the front end submerged in the sea water and the back end pointed up. Emergency services are still in attendance and enquiries are ongoing.
Ambulance Service Statement
A spokesperson for the North East Ambulance Service earlier said: 'We were called to the Marsden area at 6:10 a.m. following concerns for a person. We dispatched a clinical team leader and one ambulance crew.' The Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, HM Coastguard, and Tynemouth RNLI confirmed they were also at the scene, with the RNLI adding: 'We launched this morning to a multi-agency call.'
