One of two teenage girls who died in the River Wear only went into the water to rescue her friend, Northumbria Police say.
Tonibeth Purvis, 15, from Barmston tried to help Chloe Fowler, 14, from Shiney Row, after she got into difficulty near a viaduct in Fatfield, Washington on Tuesday afternoon.
Both girls were swept away and their bodies discovered later.
The family of Chloe Fowler said they were "devastated" by her death.
The force said inquiries surrounding the deaths were continuing.
Onlookers said they believed the girls had jumped into the river for "fun" and to "keep cool".
But Northumbria Police said it has now been established that Tonibeth had not jumped but she went in to try to rescue her younger friend.
The river was still tidal at the point where the girls went missing and there was a lot of debris and foliage in the water, the force said.
Supt Alan Veitch said: "This is an absolute tragedy and our deepest sympathies are with the families of the two girls at what must be a devastating time for them.
"They are obviously completely distraught at what has happened and we're doing everything possible to support them at this time.
"At this stage we believe a group of friends had been at the riverside and two went into the water and the others tried to help, along with members of the public."
'Sobbed my heart out'About 100 emergency services staff and members of the public were involved in the search, which took about six hours.
The family of Chloe Fowler said in a statement: "Chloe was a beautiful, kind and caring girl and we as a family are devastated by what has happened.
"We would like to thank everyone involved in helping us to look for the girls."
Joss Both, 14, who was in Chloe's class at school, said: "She was absolutely lovely, always smiling and laughing, she didn't have a bad bone in her body.
"She had lots of friends who loved her and she was really, really nice.
"She was so funny as well, she had a wicked sense of humour... she always made you giggle.
"I am absolutely gutted that she has gone. I sobbed my heart out last night."
Supt Veitch added that the force would offer support for witnesses and "in particular the young people who were with the girls and saw what happened".
"This has been traumatic for them and we're keen they are able to access support services.
"Although we are investigating the circumstances of this incident it's always worth reminding people of the dangers of going into water such as rivers and lakes.
"The River Wear is a fast-flowing, powerful river with strong currents which can be deceptive. We'd advise anyone not to enter the water."
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