A teenager who lost her life trying in vain to save another girl from a fast-flowing river “died a hero”, a friend said today.
Tonibeth Purvis, 15, jumped in to try to save Chloe Fowler, 14, who had entered the River Wear at Washington, Tyne and Wear, to cool off.
But, after a huge search and rescue attempt, the bodies of both teenagers were recovered by police dive units last night.
Police have since said that one or two other children also nearly drowned trying to help their friends.
Bethany Rose-McCaffrey, 15, was friends with Tonibeth and said she was a role model who had died a hero.
“I knew Tonibeth. She was loving and caring and always put people before her,” she said. “If it had been a friend or a stranger, she would have gone to help.
“I did not believe it was actually her but then I found out that it was. I’m really shocked because I did not think something like this would happen.
“She has died a hero trying to save a friend’s life, which shows we really do have friends out there.
“She was loving and caring and put other people before her. She was a really good role model and always had a smile on her face.”
The police said Chloe had gone into the water first and then Tonibeth went in to help her friend.
Northumbria Police Superintendent Alan Veitch said: “Chloe went in first, Tonibeth and others went in to help her.
“Tonibeth got into difficulties and so have the others.”
Mr Veitch said Chloe, who was from Shiney Row, near Sunderland, got into the water of her own free will.
“The emerging picture is that she went in to keep cool.
“I think there’s a lot of children who were trying to effect a rescue. It’s difficult for the children who were involved in the actual incident itself as one or two of them nearly drowned.”