Throw bags placed at river near where boys drowned

One of the throw bag boards which have been installed at Prudhoe Riverside Park in Northumberland

Safety equipment has been installed on the banks of a river close to where three boys drowned.

David Radut, 14, and Aras Rudzianskas, 13, died in May after getting into difficulty in the River Tyne between Prudhoe and Ovingham, in Northumberland.

Thirteen-year-old Robert Hattersley died in the same stretch of water in 2022.

Throw bags have now been installed at Prudhoe Riverside Country Parks in an effort to prevent further deaths.

The safety equipment has been placed in the area by Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service.

The bags float in the water and are attached to a rope so those in need of rescue can be pulled to safety.

Those looking to use the throw bags in Prudhoe will need to call 999 and receive a code from the fire service, which will unlock the equipment.

Emergency services were called to the stretch of water in May after two boys drowned

Similar equipment was placed along the quayside in Newcastle in April 2023.

In the same week they were installed, one was used to save the life of a woman who entered the water, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Gordon Stewart, from Northumberland County Council and the chairman of the fire authority, said safety measures were constantly reviewed.

"We are continuing work going into schools and working with other youth services to make sure that young people – and everyone else – know that whoever you are, whatever age you are and whatever you're doing, water can be extremely dangerous," he said.

A spokesperson for the fire service said: "Our hope is that anyone thinking of taking a cold plunge this summer thinks twice before going in, and knows what to do should someone end up in danger in the water."