SIX people were rescued yesterday evening (Saturday, July 26) after they ended up adrift in a inflatable dinghy on the River Tyne.

Tynemouth RNLI lifeboat volunteers launched after the Coastguard received a 999 call for help from the dinghy which had run out of fuel near Hebburn at 6pm.

The two volunteer lifeboat crew members travelled upriver from the lifeboat station on North Shields Fish Quay, reaching the drifting dinghy ten minutes later.

The volunteers checked to make sure all of the six adults and children were well, before attaching a rope to the boat and towing it to safety at South Shields slipway.

Tynemouth RNLI lifeboat station Adrian Don said: "The six adults and children were adrift in the river after running out of fuel, having apparently miscalculated how much they would need.

"The Tyne can be a dangerous place for small boats and a number of large vessels including a dredger and a cargo ship were passing the area at the time."

In another incident at the same time, the Northumbria Police Marine Division launch Sabre, which had been on duty for the Sunderland Airshow, towed three men to safety in a boat that was dangerously close to rocks at South Shields.

It had broken down for the second time that day and had already been towed to safety earlier. Its occupants were attempting to repair their engine themselves when the two officers on board the launch came across them.

Mr Don said: "These incidents are a timely reminder of the RNLI's Respect the Water campaign that aims to drastically reduce drowning in the UK from all causes, including boating incidents."

Information on how to stay safe on or near water can be found at rnli.org/respectthewater