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A 17-year-old boy remains in police custody following a tragic incident near Sunderland’s Wearmouth Bridge that resulted in the deaths of three teenagers. The car the teenagers were in entered the River Wear just before 1.30 PM on Tuesday.
Emergency services responded to the scene, where the bodies of two teenage boys and a teenage girl were later recovered. Their next of kin have been notified and are being supported by specially trained officers from Northumbria Police. The surviving boy, who managed to escape before emergency responders arrived, is currently in hospital with non-serious injuries.
A significant emergency response was mobilised at the site, involving the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, North East Ambulance Service, Great North Air Ambulance Service, HM Coastguard, and the RNLI. The police have established a cordon on the footpaths on either side of the River Tyne, while main thoroughfares, including the Wearmouth Bridge, remain open to traffic.
Authorities are urging the public to avoid the area and are requesting that no one livestreams or shares images from the scene. An appeal for information has been issued, particularly for individuals with CCTV or dashcam footage who may have witnessed the incident. Information can be reported via direct messages on social media, through live chat, or by calling 101, quoting reference number NP-20260929-0589.
Sunderland AFC has also released a statement expressing its condolences: “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragic incident on the River Wear today. At a deeply difficult time for our city, our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who have lost their lives, and everyone affected by this tragedy. We also pay tribute to the emergency services.”
Ongoing inquiries are being conducted to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
