Sunderland man found semi-conscious and suffering hypothermia (From The Northern Echo)

Sunderland man found semi-conscious and suffering hypothermia

9:24pm Friday 10th July 2009 in

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A DRUNKEN man who tried to swim across the River Wear was saved from drowning this afternoon.

A member of the public raised the alarm at 2.30pm after spotting the 26-year-old man in difficulties in the water near the Queen Alexandra Bridge, Sunderland.

Sunderland RNLI’s D Class Inshore lifeboat “Helen and Ian Tytler” was launched whilst a Coastguard Rescue Team, a helicopter and police were called to the scene.

When Coastguard officers arrived they found the semi-conscious man, from Witherwack, Sunderland, had already been rescued by a man in a small tender and landed on the river bank.

"The RNLI strongly recommends that people do not take part in water based activities after drinking alcohol as drinking and seawater just don’t mix".

Helmsman Ian Rowan

A first aid trained Coastguard officer managed to scramble down the muddy river bank to treat him.

Ian Rowan, helmsman at Sunderland RNLI Station said: “We understand that this man had being drinking heavily before attempting to swim across the river at Deptford.

"The RNLI strongly recommends that people do not take part in water based activities after drinking alcohol as drinking and seawater just don’t mix and cold water shock to the system can also bring on hypothermia very quickly."

After receiving treatment for hypothermia from Coastguard and RNLI volunteers, the man was helped from the riverbank into the Inshore Lifeboat and transferred across the river to The Ropery pub - where an ambulance took him to Sunderland Royal Hospital.