An unconscious swimmer has been pulled from the North Sea in a dramatic rescue and taken to hospital.
The Cullercoats RNLI lifeboat launched just before 2.30pm on Sunday to a swimmer in difficulty off the coast of Whitley Bay near Spanish City.
The crew pulled the man onboard the lifeboat and took him closer to shore where he could receive medical attention.
A member of the public then helped the crew members to drag the man onto the beach from the lifeboat.
Others on the beach watched in shock as they saw the rescue unfold in front of them.
A number of ambulance vehicles had been sent to the scene, including a trauma car, a hazardous area response team, an ambulance and a clinical care manager.
The man, who remained unconscious, was taken to the A&E department at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle by ambulance.
A spokesperson for the North East Ambulance Service said they had been called out to "a male patient who had been in the water".
