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Two men are believed to be missing after being swept into the sea off the coast of Devon, England, following reports of swimmers in difficulty, police confirmed.
Devon and Cornwall police responded to a call at 10:25 GMT on Christmas Day regarding concerns for individuals in the water at Budleigh Salterton beach. A large-scale emergency response was initiated and later stood down at 17:00 GMT.
Several people were safely brought ashore and received medical checks from paramedics at the scene, while others were transported to hospitals as a precautionary measure, authorities stated.
Police have notified the next of kin of one of the men and are continuing efforts to contact the family of the second, with a local friend also informed.
“A significant amount of emergency service personnel were deployed to the incident, and we ask that people do not enter the water for public safety reasons,” police said in a statement.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency reported that Exmouth and Beer Coastguard Rescue Teams, RNLI lifeboats from Exmouth, Teignmouth, and Torbay, along with coastguard search and rescue helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, were dispatched to assist, alongside police and ambulance services.
“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,” the agency added.
Authorities urged the public to avoid entering the water along the affected coastline and requested that people refrain from participating in water activities until conditions improve.
A local observer described the sea conditions at Budleigh Salterton as unusually rough for the annual Christmas Day swim. The waves were powerful enough to knock some people off their feet as they exited the water, with fellow swimmers offering assistance.
“As soon as we arrived you could tell that
