POLICE have named a canoeist who died after he became trapped in a dangerous stretch of a Northumberland river.

Andrew Weatherill, 33, from Hartlepool, Teesside, is believed to have run into trouble on the River Tyne in Northumberland on Saturday afternoon.

A rescue operation was launched after members of the public spotted a canoeist struggling in a weir at Riding Mill.

Mr Weatherill, whose girlfriend is from Gateshead, was pulled unconscious from the damaged canoe by a helicopter crew from RAF Boulmer.

Medics onboard the helicopter tried to save his life, but he was later pronounced dead at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Witnesses said Mr Weatherill was in difficulty for around 20 minutes before rescue workers were able to reach him. It is understood he was out on his own.

It is not yet known how his canoe became trapped in the weir, which is close to a Northumbrian Water pumping station. The alarm was raised at 2.25pm which prompted a full-scale search involving police, firefighters, paramedics and the coastguard.

Chairman of the Tyne Valley Canoe Club Dave Gray said the stretch of water was known as treacherous.

“It is a vertical weir,” he said. “It’s got a steep drop and causes a back tow and it’s very dangerous. They are designed to hold back water so they are quite sterile in the river. The more severe the drop and stronger the current, the bigger the back flow, which can actually stop a canoe in its tracks.