Tragedy struck in Ovingham, Northumberland on Saturday when two teenage boys got into difficulty while swimming in the River Tyne near Ovingham Bridge. At approximately 15:30 BST, emergency services were alerted to the incident and a comprehensive search for the boys commenced. Personnel from Northumbria Police, Great North Air Ambulance (GNAAS), and North East Ambulance Service were dispatched to the scene. The search operation lasted several hours, before one boy’s body was recovered from the water. He was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene. The second boy, aged 13, was rescued and taken to a hospital. He remains in critical condition.
Ch Supt Helena Barron said, “This is an absolutely tragic incident and our thoughts are with the families of both boys at this difficult time as we continue to support them… It is with great sadness that we could not provide a more positive update.” Barron thanked the emergency services involved in the search, stating that their help was paramount to the operation.
The teenager’s parents are receiving mental and emotional support from specially trained officers, according to Northumbria Police. A cordon remains in place around the area where the incident took place. Investigations are ongoing, and forensic teams were seen carrying out investigatory work near a swing on the river bank on Sunday morning.
GNAAS, which was activated at around 15:40 BST to respond to the emergency, worked closely with North East Ambulance Service to tend to the teens. GNAAS released a statement following the incident as well, saying that “Despite the efforts of all involved, we were unable to assist the second patient.” No additional information is available at this time. The incident is being investigated by the police, who have urged members of the public to stay away from the area around Ovingham Bridge as their investigation continues
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