Two men remain missing at sea as police urge public to avoid Boxing Day swims

Two men remain missing at sea after getting into difficulty off a beach in Devon, police said.

Emergency services were called to Budleigh Salterton at 10.25am on Christmas Day after concerns for people in the water.

A number of people were safely recovered to shore and checked by paramedics or taken to hospital as a precaution.

On Thursday evening, Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that coastguard and RNLI searches had now concluded in the area.

Two men, aged in their 40s and 60s, were not located during the extensive searches and remain missing.

Their families have been informed of developments, a force spokeswoman said.

A Met Office yellow weather warning for wind was in place across parts of the South West and Wales on Christmas Day.

No warnings have been issued for Boxing Day but police urged people not to go swimming in the sea.

Detective Superintendent Hayley Costar, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “Today, emergency services have been responding to a truly tragic incident in Budleigh Salterton.

“Our thoughts remain firmly with the families and friends of the two men who are currently missing and to all who may have witnessed and be impacted by the incident.

“The local community will have seen a significant amount of emergency services in the area throughout the day as extensive enquiries have been ongoing.

“As dark falls, a number of these searches have been stood down, with some police enquiries on land continuing this evening.

“There have been weather warnings in place this week and a number of official and unofficial swims have already been cancelled.

“While there are no official warnings in place for tomorrow, we urge anyone with plans to go swimming in the sea on Boxing Day not to.”

HM Coastguard said it had responded to reports of “people in difficulty” in the water in the Budleigh Salterton area.

Coastguard rescue teams from Exmouth and Beer attended, along with RNLI lifeboats from Exmouth, Teignmouth and Torbay.

They were assisted by coastguard search and rescue helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, along with police and ambulance personnel.

“Searches have continued throughout the day to find two men believed to still be in the water. After extensive shoreline and offshore searches, the coastguard part of the search was stood down at 5pm,” a spokeswoman said.

A spokesperson for the RNLI said: “We can confirm that this morning at approximately 10am, RNLI lifeboat crew from Exmouth, Torbay and Teignmouth were tasked by HM Coastguard to assist in a multiagency incident involving people in difficulty in the water in the Budleigh Salterton area.

“RNLI lifeboat crews were involved in the recovery of one person from the water and continued to search throughout the day for two people understood to still be in the water.

“All lifeboat crew were stood down by the Coastguard around 5pm, when they returned to stations.

“Our thoughts are with all those impacted by the incident and the family and friends of the two people who are missing.”

A spokeswoman for South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust said it was called at 10.10am to “reports of people in difficulty in the sea”.

“We sent resources to the scene and conveyed one person by land ambulance to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital,” she said.

“We treated and discharged two further people at the scene.”

A number of Christmas and Boxing Day swims in Devon and Cornwall were cancelled this year because of a yellow weather warning for wind.

The Met Office warned of “strong and gusty east to northeasterly winds” from 4am until 11.59pm on Christmas Day in parts of south-west England and Wales.

It said peak gusts would reach 45-55mph but these could reach 55-65mph along some exposed coasts and to the west of prominent hills.

There could be disruption to transport and power supplies, the forecaster said.

It added: “Large waves will be an additional hazard on some coasts.”

Anyone with information which may help police is asked to contact Devon and Cornwall Police by calling 101 or through the force’s website, quoting log number 191 of December 25.