Man rescued from Paddy's Hole, South Gare after being found clinging to 'rapidly sinking boat'

A man in his 60s was rescued after being found clinging to a rapidly sinking boat in the North Sea.

A neighbourhood police officer was praised for saving the man's life after he got into difficulty at the mouth of the River Tees near Redcar on Easter Sunday.

The Cleveland Police officer rowed out to Paddy's Hole, off South Gare, after receiving an urgent request for help at about 8:15pm on Sunday 9 April.

The man, who was clinging to the rapidly sinking boat, was in distress and at risk of hypothermia, a spokesperson for Cleveland Police said.

He had been in the water for about a quarter of an hour.

The officer, who commandeered a nearby dinghy, rowed out and was able to bring the man back to safety within 15 minutes, where he was treated by the ambulance service.

Redcar and Cleveland Local Policing Superintendent Emily Harrison said: “I’m immensely proud of my colleague for taking such swift and decisive action. This undoubtedly saved the gentleman’s life.”Assistant Chief Constable David Felton added: “I’m pleased to hear this positive outcome - and I thoroughly commend the officer for his bravery.”

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