Two men are still unaccounted for following reports of swimmers in difficulty off the coast of Devon, police have announced. The response, which involved several emergency services, was initiated after a call was made at 10:25 GMT about distressed swimmers at Budleigh Salterton. Although many were safely brought back to shore and assessed by paramedics or taken to the hospital for precautionary checks, the two missing men, one in his 40s and the other in his 60s, could not be found. Their families have been kept informed of the situation.
A statement from the police highlighted the significant deployment of emergency services and advised the public against entering the water for safety reasons. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency reported that teams from Exmouth and Beer Coastguard, RNLI lifeboats from Exmouth, Teignmouth, and Torbay, along with coastguard helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, participated in the search, which was halted at 5 pm after extensive efforts.
This incident has led police to advise against joining Christmas Day swims in Exmouth, with potential swimmers urged to refrain due to emergency responses ongoing in Budleigh Salterton. Weather-related swim event postponements or cancellations were advised earlier in Devon and Cornwall due to windy conditions.
BBC journalist Phillip Stoneman, a regular at the annual swim, noted the sea conditions were hazardous, describing it as the 'roughest' he had seen, with waves strong enough to knock people off their feet.
Detective Superintendent Hayley Costar of Devon and Cornwall Police remarked on the tragic nature of the incident, expressing condolences to the affected families and witnesses. She noted the visible presence of emergency services in the area throughout the day, adding that while shoreline searches were halted as night fell, police inquiries on land would continue. The public is discouraged from planning sea swims, particularly on Boxing Day, amid ongoing safety concerns.
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