Search called off for two swimmers missing at sea

A coastguard search operation for two men who went missing in the sea during a Christmas Day swim has been called off.

Emergency services were called to Budleigh Salterton, Devon, shortly after 10:25 GMT on Thursday.

While some people also taking part in the swim were brought back to shore, two men in their 40s and 60s could not be located.

The coastguard stopped searching the water at 17:00, but police said onshore inquiries continued into the evening. The men's families have been informed.

No official weather warnings are in place on Boxing Day, but some sea swims have been cancelled and police in Devon and Cornwall have urged people not to get into the water.

Residents of the town have described the incident as "shocking" and "tragic".

"I've never quite witnessed anything like this," said John Smyley, who lives close to the beach.

He described it as a "particularly cold day" in the town and said the sea "looked ferocious".

"It's very shocking and it's sad - particularly on Christmas Day," he added.

Mike Brown, 60, who has lived in Budleigh Salterton for nearly 30 years, said the sea conditions on Thursday was the "worst conditions" he had ever seen.

Mr Brown, who swims in the sea all year round and does the Christmas Day swim most years, said if he had been on his own, he would have not gone in the sea.

After entering the sea and being "unable to get out", Mr Brown said he only made it out with the help of "two very brave men [and escaped] with multiple superficial injuries".

He said: "After successive waves crashing me into the stones, I managed to get into relatively shallow water, but I was spent.

"I had no energy left to stand and I'd taken a number of blows to the head.

"These two men without any concern for their own safety waded in to help me."

He said there was a "very good chance" he would not have made it out with them.

"I'm very, very grateful to them," Mr Brown said.

He said he was keen to contact the people who helped him and sent his best wishes to the families of the men missing.

Mr Brown added: "I think it was a bit of herd mentality and Christmas spirit that resulted in 100 other people - like me - making the wrong decision.

"We should never have gone in."

Julia Robb was at the beach shortly before the men went missing.

"[The sea] was rougher than I've seen it, but there were a lot of people on the beach and quite a few going in," she said.

"As people went in, the waves broke over them but everyone was very jolly, getting knocked down and getting up again.

"The waves were big enough to break over people so I reckon they were 5ft to 6ft [1.5m to 1.8m] probably; as soon as you went in, you would've been covered in the waves.

"It's just tragic.

"It is just such a sad sad thing to happen on Christmas Day. You just feel for the families."

Ashley Stoneman and Kelsey Jessup both took part in the swim at Budleigh Salterton.

"You knew that there was a vibe that this is kind of dangerous," Mr Stoneman said.

"Everybody was looking at each other and thinking: 'How far do we go in? How long are we going to go in for?'

"I'm sure a few people would have even looked at and thought: 'Not today.'"

Ms Jessup said they initially thought the cold temperatures would be the dangerous part of the day, but then they saw "crazy waves" as they walked along the shoreline.

"All of a sudden, it was like Poseidon is having a temper tantrum here with these waves just crashing huge," she added.

Det Supt Hayley Costar, of Devon and Cornwall Police, described the incident as "truly tragic" in a statement on Thursday.

"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 been impacted by the incident," she added.

In a post on social media, Budleigh Salterton Baptist Church said its prayers were with the men's families and friends, as well as emergency services.

It said: "We are sad to hear the devastating news of the two men missing after yesterday's swim.

"If you would like to pray or talk to someone at this difficult time, please don't hesitate to get in touch."

Additional reporting by Kris Bramwell.

Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].