A TEENAGER sparked a major rescue operation after going missing while trying to swim across one of the North-East most dangerous rivers.

A lifeboat, coastguard and police, fire and ambulance officers were called to the River Wear, near Sunderland FCs Stadium of Light in the early hours of Monday morning.

The Northumbria police helicopter was also scrambled to aid in the search for the teenager, who was reported missing by a friend around 2am.

Paul Nicholson, senior helmsman at Sunderland RNLI, said Initial reports were that this teenager had attempted to swim from the North to the South side of the River. After losing sight of him, his friend then dialled 999 and reported the incident to the police, who in turn contacted Humber Coastguard.

As the emergency services made their way to the scene, the helicopter spotted the teenager, who was clear of the water but had become stranded on the mud bank next to Liebherr Cranes.

With the helicopter hovering overhead illuminating the scene, two RNLI volunteers went across the mud bank to assess and stabilise the boy, before preparing him for evacuation.

When we reached the teenager, he was found to be cold and wet, but otherwise unharmed, said Mr Nicholson. After reassuring him, we wrapped him in a blanket, while the coastguard rescue team prepared their line rescue equipment.

The teenager was then fitted into a rescue strop, and lifted up the quayside wall into Liebherr Cranes yard, where he was handed over to waiting paramedics.

As a precaution he was then transferred to Sunderland Royal Hospital for treatment.

It is unclear why the teenager attempted to swim across the river, said Mr Nicholson. He is extremely fortunate that his friend was able to contact the emergency services to allow us to react as quickly as we did. All of the units involved pulled together as one team, to bring this incident to a successful conclusion."