A Quayside bartender saved the life of a drunk teenager who was struggling in the River Tyne.
The member of staff from Urban Garden in Newcastle used a throw line to rescue the drinker after he got into difficulty near the Millennium Bridge on Thursday, June 15.
Firefighters were called by a member of the public to the scene and on arrival, they found a woman from the bar has already deployed the life-saving equipment and managed to bring the teenager to the ladders at the side of the river.
She had been trained on how to use it by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) water rescue lead Tommy Richardson and the RNLI as part of the community responder scheme earlier this year.
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Firefighters then helped the male to shore who was then treated by paramedics as a precaution.
Firefighter Richardson said: "We are relieved this incident did not result in tragedy as we could easily have been talking about a fatality in the water. This was a fantastic intervention by the Urban Garden employee who put her training to the test and deployed the throwline in really good time.
“The throwline did its job. It helped secure the man in place and gradually bring him closer to the ladder where he could self-rescue with the assistance of firefighters."
TWFRS and the RNLI have been running throw-bag training with businesses across Tyne and Wear for nearly four years with hundreds of riverside business staff trained in how to use them.
Newcastle City Council has invested in 14 new throwline boards along the River Tyne which stretch from the Redheugh Bridge to The Cycle Hub at Newcastle’s Ouseburn. They are accessed by calling 999 and being provided with a code.
The throwlines saved a life within the first two weeks of installation and have once again proved their worth with another life-saving intervention.
“This week is the launch of Drowning Prevention Week and this incident shows the value of the community responder scheme, and why waterside businesses should be seeking to train their staff," Firefighter Richardson continued.
“But we also want to make clear that entering the water under the influence of alcohol can be very dangerous. Alcohol and drugs can seriously impair your ability to stay safe in the water.
“The River Tyne is also not an appropriate stretch of water to go for a swim and that is why we have invested so heavily in the Quayside. We are glad that investment is proving its worth.”
