A man has died and another is in hospital after two men in their 20s got into difficulty in the sea at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside on Sunday evening. Emergency services, including police, paramedics, the air ambulance, and the RNLI, responded to the scene at around 6:30pm. One man was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other was taken to Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington, where he remains in a serious but stable condition.
Emergency Response and Community Impact
Chief Inspector Simon Wotton of Northumbria Police described the incident as "absolutely tragic" and expressed condolences to those affected. He thanked partner agencies for their assistance and acknowledged the shock and distress caused to the local community. The next of kin of both men have been contacted and are being supported by officers. A report has been made to the coroner.
Multi-Agency Operation
The RNLI confirmed they were tasked by the coastguard at 6:23pm on 19 July and launched within minutes as part of a multi-agency operation. The North East Ambulance Service dispatched three double-crewed ambulances, a clinical team leader, a duty officer, two vehicles from their Hazardous Area Response Team, and were supported by the Great North Air Ambulance. One patient was checked over at the scene, and one was taken to hospital.
