Woman helped from the sea by passerby as emergency teams join in rescue effort

South Shields Volunteer Life Brigade (SSVLB), Sunderland Coastguard Rescte Team, Tynemouth RNLI, Northumbria Police and the North East Ambulance Service were alerted to the incident at Sandhaven Beach at 8.47am today, Sunday, June 6.

A spokesperson for the SSVLB said: “As we arrived on scene the casualty had been rescued from the water by a member of the public.

"Our members took over the care of the casualty until the ambulance arrived.

"Once she was safely in the ambulance we were stood down.”

HM Coastguard confirmed the call out was a police-led incident.

The SSVLB, which is funded through donations and was this week recognised through a Queen's Award for its work to protect people out on the borough’s coastline, issued a reminder that people should remember that in all coastal emergencies people should dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

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