Three teenagers have died after their car plunged into the River Wear in Sunderland. A driver managed to jump out of the car, but two teenage boys and a girl were trapped inside.
Emergency response
Police, firefighters, coastguard, paramedics and the air ambulance were among those called to the scene. Members of the public have been asked to avoid the area, with the response to the incident ongoing. Boats have been seen on the water, with many emergency crews parked near Panns Bank. An air ambulance landed nearby, while lifeboat volunteers have been seen scouring the river on boats.
Statements from services
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: 'Shortly before 1.30pm today (Tuesday), we received a report of a car entering the River Wear near Wearmouth Bridge in Sunderland. Emergency services are currently at the scene, we would ask members of the public to avoid the area.'
NEAS also said: 'We received a call to 999 at 1.23pm today (Tuesday 29 September 2026) to reports of an incident involving a car entering the River Wear near Wearmouth Bridge in Sunderland. We sent to the scene an emergency ambulance, a clinical team leader, three officers, air ambulance and the full Hazardous Area Response Team (HART). We are working closely with the coastguard and the police, and we remain on scene at this time.'
A TWFRS spokesperson added: 'We can confirm that earlier this afternoon, two fire appliances, the fire boat and a number of officers were dispatched to an ongoing incident on the River Wear, near Wearmouth Bridge in Sunderland. Our dedicated teams are assisting blue light colleagues with the ongoing rescue efforts.'
Ongoing response
A police cordon is in place and has been extended, with the public urged to avoid the area at this time. The Wearmouth Bridge remains open to traffic as usual.
