Tyneside girl wins ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ competition
A girl from Gateshead has won a 'once-in-a-lifetime' competition to name one of the RNLI's newest and most advanced lifeboats.
RNLI rescues drop because of wet summer
RNLI rescues in the North of England drop by 29% during the wettest summer in 100 years.
Safety advice for Sunderland International Air Show
Lifeboat volunteers from Sunderland RNLI will be working this weekend to help crowds enjoy a the Sunderland International Air Show safely.
Live updates
Helicopter, lifeboat and 40-strong search team in "expensive false alarm"
A large air and sea rescue operation launched after an empty fishing boat was found 15 miles out to sea, appears to have been an expensive false alarm.
An RAF helicopter, a lifeboat and a 40-strong onshore team team spent five hours searching the waters fearing someone had gone overboard. But the missing owner had actually turned up 24 hours earlier.
Gregg Easteal reports.
Five-hour sea search was "expensive false alarm"
An air and sea rescue operation launched after an empty fishing boat was found miles out to sea, appears to have been an expensive false alarm.
An RAF helicopter, a lifeboat and a 40-strong onshore team spent five hours searching, fearing someone had gone overboard. Both men who had been using the fishing boat are safe.
ITV News correspondent Gregg Easteal has this update.
Advertisement
Empty dinghy owner recovering at home
A man whose empty dinghy floating out to sea sparked a large-scale air and sea search last night is recovering at home.
It is understood that 40-year-old Robert Buckham collapsed on the shoreline at Blyth yesterday with suspected hypothermia.
He was rushed to hospital, leaving the empty dinghy behind.
The dinghy is then thought to have drifted out to sea, sparking the large-scale search.
A team of 40 coastguards was involved in the search along with the RNLI Tynemouth lifeboat and a RAF search and rescue helicopter.
Man from empty dinghy found alive
A 40 year old man is recovering after his disappearance led to a major air and sea search off Blyth in Northumberland last night.
It appears that while the RNLI was launching the search, the man was safely on shore.
The man, who has not been named, went out fishing in a dinghy with an 18-year-old relative and suffered suspected hypothermia.
The teenager got them back to shore, where the 40-year-old collapsed , and was taken to hospital.
Meanwhile, his family were concerned he'd been at sea so long and had rung the police. They called the police again to say that he had been found.
The police told the family they would need to tie up the incident, but according to the family, never arrived.
The RNLI did not know he had been found, and continued their search, fearing the man had gone overboard.
An RNLI spokesman said today: "Everyone at Tynemouth RNLI lifeboat station is pleased that no-one has been lost at sea."
Massive sea search is called off
Lifeboat crews and a helicopter from RAF Boulmer have been involved in a massive sea search through the night. It began after an empty fishing dinghy was found 15 miles off the coast at Blyth. The coastguard was concerned their could be missing occupants. No further searches will take place.
Major search underway off Northumberland coast
A major search is underway off the Northumberland coast after an empty fishing boat was found 15 miles out to sea from Blyth.
No one was on board the small dingy although there was fresh fish in the boat.
Tynemouth RNLI is currently searching the area.
Advertisement
Child in hospital after Blyth beach rescue
A child has been taken to hospital after being rescued from the sea at Blyth beach.
The youngster, believed to be an eight-year-old boy, got into difficulty at around 3:15pm on Thursday. An RNLI lifeboat was launched and the air ambulance was called to the scene, but the child had already been rescued by a member of the public.
The child was assessed by paramedics before being taken to hospital by ambulance.
Warning to take care as warm weather continues
People are being urged to take extra care while enjoying the sunny weather on the region's coast.
The warning comes after the RNLI in Cullercoats were kept busy over the weekend.
Their crews were called out four times on Sunday, spending many hours at sea.
Ben Bradshaw, RNLI Cullercoats Helmsman said: ‘With such good weather on Sunday people tend to take to the water. We are here to save lives at sea and are always ready to respond.’
Body found in River Wear mud-banks
The body of a man has been found lying on mud-banks alongside the River Wear in Sunderland.
It was spotted by a passer-by in the Castletown area on Saturday.
Northumbria Police were alerted and they passed the information on to the Coastguard service.
An RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched and the body of a middle-aged man was recovered.
The identity of the dead man has not been released.
– Paul Nicholson, Helmsman at Sunderland RNLI“These types of incident are always difficult for our volunteers to deal with; but it is something which they train for to ensure that the task is carried out in a safe and respectful manner.
"We worked closely with the police officers at the scene to ensure that the correct procedures were followed to allow their investigation to take place once the body was taken ashore."
George Elmy returns home
RNLI lifeboats from Sunderland, Tynemouth and Hartlepool provided a guard of honour as former Seaham lifeboat George Elmy sailed back to her home port.
The boat capsized during a rescue in huge seas on 17 November 1962.
All five crew on board died, along with four people they had just rescued.
Today's top stories
