Teenager left in critical condition following serious incident at North Tyneside coast

The 15-year-old had been in the water at the south end of the beach when she had to be pulled ashore by members of the public. Credit: Michael Dobinson at Northerly Swell

A teenager was left in a critical condition after being involved in a serious incident at the North Tyneside coast, according to the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade (TVLB).

The 15-year-old, was part of a group of four girls, who got into difficulty in Whitley Bay at around 4pm on Saturday 27 May.

They had been in the water at the south end of the beach when the casualty had to be pulled ashore by members of the public.

After a call from HM Coastguard, seven members of the TVLB arrived at the scene on Watts Slope to find the 15-year-old receiving first aid from the public and staff from a local surf shop.

Once her condition had improved, she was passed to the North East Ambulance Service where she was taken to hospital.

Shortly after, another one of the group collapsed and was cared for by a group of Brigade members, RNLI Lifeguards, the Ambulance Service, officers from Northumbria Police, and volunteers from St John Ambulance - many of whom had been in the area to support the Whitley Bay carnival.

The callout lasted around an hour as shortly before 5pm a second ambulance arrived at the scene and the three remaining teenagers were taken to hospital for further checks.

The TVLB said: "Following a sad number of fatalities and serious incidents in the sea and inland water in recent days, we would encourage all those intending to go to the coast to act carefully and responsibility.

"RNLI Lifeguards are now stationed on all four of the beaches in North Tyneside and swimming between their red and yellow flags is highly recommended."

It continued: "While the weather has improved, the sea temperature remains low and the risk of cold water shock is very high at this time of the year.

"We would encourage anyone going into the sea to take their time in allowing their body to acclimatise and avoid going straight into a swim or out of their depth."

Three members of the TVLB also attended to a women with a significant shoulder injury in Tynemouth shortly before 8pm on Saturday.

The woman had suffered a fall in the town, and first aid was provided by the team while she waited for an ambulance.

At around 9pm an ambulance arrived and the lady was taken to hospital for further treatment.

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