Search called off for two swimmers missing at sea
Two men who went missing in the sea during a Christmas Day dive have been called off, and a coastguard search for two men has been calledoff. Shortly after 10:25 GMT on Thursday, emergency services were dispatched to Budleigh Salterton, Devon. Although some people were taken back to shore, two men in their 40s and 60s could not be found. At 17:00, the coastguard stopped searching the water at 17:00 p. M. , but police said on-shore inquiries continued into the evening. The men's families have been informed.
Although there is no official weather warning on Boxing Day, several sea dives have been postponed, and police in Devon and Cornwall have warned residents not to get into the sea.
The incident has been described as shocking
and tragic
by the small town's residents. I've never quite seen anything like this,
John Smyley, who lives close to the beach, said. He characterized it as a particularly cold day
in the town, adding that the sea looked ferocious.
It's very surprising and sad, especially on Christmas Day.
Julia Robb was on the beach just before the men vanished. The sea [was] rougher than I've seen,
she said, but there were a lot of people on the beach and quite a few going in. "As people went in the waves to get them down, everyone was jolly, getting knocked down and then getting up again.
It's just tragic,The waves were strong enough to knock over people, so I guess they were 5-6 feet [1. 5-1. 8m] probably, as soon as you stepped in you'd be covered in the waves.
she added.It's just such bleak thing to happen on Christmas Day," you say for the families.
'A dangerous vibe'
The swim at Budleigh Salterton was a success for Ashley Stoneman and Kelsey Jessup.
Mr Stoneman said.You knew that there was a feeling that this is really risky,
Everybody was looking at each other and asking,how far will we go, how long is it going to take, and how long will we stay in for?
Ms JessupI'm sure a few people would have even looked at and thought about it, not today.
crazy wavessaid they had hoped the cold weather would be the worst part of the day, but then they saw
as they walked along the shoreline.All of a sudden, it seemed like Poseidon is having a temper tantrum here, with these waves just crashing massive,
completely tragic.she said. In a tweet on Thursday, Devon and Cornwall Police Det Supt Hayley Costar described the incident as
she said. Budleigh Salterton Baptist Church said in a social media post, that its prayers are with the men's families and friends as well as emergency services.Our thoughts remain firmly with the families and friends of the two men who are now missing, as well as those who may have witnessed and been affected by the incident,
If you want to pray or talk to someone at a time like this one, please don't hesitate to contact me. " Follow BBC Devon onX,FacebookandInstagram. Send your story ideas [contact redacted].We are sad to learn the tragic news of the two men missing after yesterday's dive.
