Emergency services are hunting for two men who vanished at sea off Budleigh Salterton this morning. The alarm was raised just after 10:25am when a group got into trouble in the water.
Chaos at Sea: Some Rescued, Two Still Missing
Rescue crews pulled several people to safety, with paramedics checking them at the scene or rushing some to hospital as a precaution. But two men, aged in their 40s and 60s, remain unaccounted for. Their families have been notified.
Search Teams Stand Down as Darkness Falls
Teams from the Coastguard and RNLI scoured the area all day, but have now called off the search at dusk. Police continue enquiries on land into the troubling incident.
Police Issue Warning Over Boxing Day Swims
Detective Superintendent Hayley Costar 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 community will have seen a significant emergency services presence today. As dark falls, most searches are stood down but police continue enquiries this evening.”
“There have been weather warnings this week, causing many swims to be cancelled. Though no official warnings are in place tomorrow, we strongly urge everyone to avoid swimming in the sea on Boxing Day.”
If you have any information that could help the police, please call 101 or report online quoting log 191 of 25/12/25.
