Teenager drowns just yards off shore at Whitley Bay

Jul 27 2009 by Robert Weatherall, The Journal

A TEENAGER drowned at a popular beach as desperate lifeguards frantically tried to save him.

The 18-year-old was just yards off shore in a stretch of water specially set aside for swimmers when he went under and failed to resurface.

He was swimming with a friend in a flagged section of Whitley Bay beach in North Tyneside which is patrolled by lifeguards.

But despite two lifeguards being in the water within 30 seconds of the swimmer getting into difficulty rescuers were unable to locate him.

The incident happened shortly after 4pm on Saturday and was witnessed by one of the six lifeguards who were patrolling the small section of sand.

Apart from the two lifeguards who dashed into the water to try and rescue the youth, a search and rescue operation was under way within minutes.

Two helicopters, a jetski, lifeboat volunteers, four lifeguards and police officers scoured the sea but were unable to find the missing swimmer. His body was discovered about eight hours later at low tide just 100 metres from where he was last seen.

Coastguard officials have said there is nothing to suggest the youth had been drinking and his sudden disappearance on what was a calm stretch of water has puzzled safety chiefs.

Phil Scott, of North Tyneside Council, is responsible for the lifeguard service. He said: “One of our lifeguards saw this man go under and fail to come back up. A member of the public also reported it. We had two lifeguards in the water within half a minute and others dialled 999.