Teen critical after parachute accident

A teenager was taken to hospital after he was lifted by a parachute and seen to crash into a house by witnesses.

Emergency services were called to Dryburgh, Washington, on Friday, following the incident.

Northumbria Police confirmed yesterday that it was a 16-year-old boy who was injured.

His condition is said to be critical but stable after he was taken to hospital.

Neighbours living in the street spoke of their shock after they said the teenager had collided into a house while attached to the canopy.

The force said no investigation is under way, but said it had attended the scene to help paramedics and handle a crowd of people, who gathered in the aftermath of the boy’s ordeal.

A police spokesperson said: “At 6.15pm on Friday,

May 22, we received a request for emergency services to attend the Dryburgh area following reports a teenager with a parachute had been lifted by the wind and then dropped to the floor.

“Three Hazardous Area Response Teams (Hart), a specialist paramedic and an ambulance were deployed as well as officers to assist with crowd control.

“The 16-yearold teen was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead by ambulance in a critical but stable condition.”

The North East Ambulance Service reported at the time that the incident had involved a man who was lifted and dropped by a parachute.

It also called in the Great North Air Ambulance, but the patient was taken to hospital by road.