POLICE officers were out in force in the North-East on Saturday for a national lifesaving competition.
About 100 contestants from all over the country were on the banks of the River Tees on the edge of Stockton, for the Cleveland Police-organised event.
They travelled from as far afield as Scotland and the South Coast to take part in the two-hour event.
Competitors were given a range of challenges to test their skills in life-saving and first aid.
PC Phil Taylor, one of the organisers, said: "It is a very realistic and testing competition, and made deliberately so to get it as close to a real life incident as possible."
Some competitiors took things too seriously and "rescued" a canoeist when his craft overturned as he paddled through the test area.
He was unconnected with the event and had wanted to be left alone to right his canoe himself.
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