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Sunderland patrol team helps to save lives in River Wear

“Dangerous and deadly” is how a special patrol team described the River Wear ahead of the school summer holidays.

The Port of Sunderland is monitoring hazards and looking out for children and young adults getting into difficulty every day.

Routine patrols started during the Easter break and will run between 10:00 and 18:00 BST every day until September.

It comes as bosses warned they were expecting their busiest summer yet, and had already intervened several times this season.

They invited the BBC on board their main safety vessel, Sentinel, to see why the river could be so dangerous to inexperienced users.

Video produced by Jim Scott.

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1 May 2024

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