THE NORTH EAST angling fraternity is in shock tonight (Monday, December 17) as tributes are paid to a married father-of-six who died after being swept out to sea.

Paul Turner, 33, of Horden, near Peterlee, County Durham, was rescued after getting into trouble while fishing with his father-in-law.

He died at James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, at 8.45pm on Saturday.

His 57-year-old father-in-law was discharged from the same hospital after receiving treatment for shock and the effects of being in the sea.

It is believed they were both washed into the sea from an angling perch near the cliffs at Horden shortly after 3pm on Saturday.

The other man had already managed to get himself out of the sea before a rescue helicopter from RAF Boulmer arrived.

Elaine Wilkinson of Coast Road Fishing Tackle, in Horden, said: “I knew him (Mr Turner) as a customer. He was a nice lad. The angling community is shocked about what happened.

“I never realised he had six children, as well. It is awful . . . awful.”

Ms Wilkinson added: “From what I was told it (the swell) just seemed to come out of nowhere. It was something freaky.

“There were quite a few fishing at the time. They were right along the beach.”

The tragedy came after the coastguard was called to a report of 15 anglers being knocked over by a freak wave on Roker Pier in Sunderland at 1.30pm that same afternoon.

A 66-year-old angler from West Rainton, near Durham City suffered a badly broken leg when a 16ft wave crashed over the top. 

A Sea King rescue helicopter from RAF Boulmer airlifted the man to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

The other anglers were led to safety through a tunnel beneath the pier.

Sam Harris, 79, said: "You had the biggest tides of the year.

"A 5.8m tide, combined with easterly winds,  just builds the sea up and up, until you get mountainous waves coming in.

"It could have been serious. There could have been deaths there.”

Last week warnings about stormy conditions on the seas were issued and the coastguard has renewed advice to anglers not to take risks and to check weather and tidal conditions before setting out.