North-East News
Specialist underwater team called in to search river in Willington area
7:26pm Saturday 28th April 2012
THE missing eight-year-old boy feared to have fallen into the River Wear was tonight named by police as Ian Thomas Bell.
Ian, was playing with his friends near the Brown Trout pub at Sunnybrow, near Willington, County Durham - which is near the river - when it is thought he fell into the water at around 7pm last night.
Since then a major police search for Ian has been on-going with assistance from the Fire and Rescue Service, Teesdale and Weardale Search and Rescue, Durham County Council Civil Contingency Unit and a Northumbria police marine unit, specialising in underwater search and rescue.
The search continued unti 1.30am this morning and resumed at first light.
A search has taken place of both banks for some distance in the hope that Ian, from Sunnybrow, may have managed to scramble out of the water.
A spokesman for Durham Police said: "Police are continuing to work closely with the local community and would like to thank them for their continual support.
Police are also keeping in regular cntact with Ian's family and updating them as the search continues."
The search is continuing this evening.
Comments(4)
55
says...
10:48pm Sat 28 Apr 12
daffman
says...
8:28am Sun 29 Apr 12
laura1987bish
says...
11:12am Sun 29 Apr 12
PLEASE REPOST! We're looking for a team of people to help search for the son of a dear friend of ours, who was washed into the river at Willington on friday night. Please can anyone spare a few hours today to walk along any point of the River Wear, whether it be in Willington, Durham, Chester-le-street or as far as Sunderland to help find Ian Bell. There will be a party of people meeting shortly at Page Bank if you would like to join them. Thank You xxx (copied from buy and sell crook website )---facebook
NO EINSTEIN says...
9:31pm Sat 28 Apr 12