One person was taken to hospital in Newcastle following a crane incident at the Port of Tyne in South Shields on Sunday afternoon, 19 July 2026. Emergency services responded to reports of an injured person shortly after 1pm.
Emergency Response and Patient Transfer
The North East Ambulance Service dispatched three double-crewed ambulances, two clinical team leaders, a duty officer, and three Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) vehicles. The Great North Air Ambulance also attended. One patient was transported to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle.
A spokesperson for the North East Ambulance Service said: "We were called to an incident in which a person was injured at the Port of Tyne, South Shields, at 1.02pm on 19 July. One patient was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary. One of our HART vehicles remains at the scene on standby to support the fire service."
Damage and Onlooker Account
Photos from the scene show a damaged dockside crane and crumpled cargo containers on the BG Freight Line vessel. An onlooker from YouTube channel Urbex Drone View described the scene as "horrific to see." They said: "When I arrived on the North side to get some drone footage, I was met with the tangled wreckage of the dockside crane, highlighting the sheer force of the incident... Seeing the extent of the damage brought home just how serious the incident was."
The Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service also supported the operation. The incident remains under investigation, and the port continues operations with the affected area cordoned off.
