Two men are missing, feared dead, after Budleigh Salterton Christmas day swimmers had to be pulled to safety amid ‘terrifying’ sea conditions.
An experienced sea swimmer from the town was hit by a large wave as she watched the festive dip from the beach with her 10-year-old son, Woody. She said the conditions were the ‘most dangerous’ she had seen at Budleigh.
Fran McElhone a journalist and photographer, said: “We were never going to go in, I was going to stand there and get splashed with Woody and go back. A lot of people were just stood there, to get splashed, and go back.
Fran McElhone and her son, 10-year-old Woody, were hit by a large wave even as they watched the annual festive dip from the beach.
Photo: Fran McElhone.
“I saw the conditions. They were literally the most dangerous that I have ever seen at Budleigh. I don’t think it gets any more dangerous than that.
“The massive powerful waves were smashing on the pebbles, but we didn’t realise how powerful.
“I knew from being a local and going down there a lot that it was terrifying conditions but even though we were just stood there a wave came up and engulfed us. It knocked Woody off his feet and dragged him up the beach by a couple of metres, so I grabbed his hand. A man also grabbed him.
“And when I had firm footing, I helped a woman out. I grabbed her hand.”
Woody, right, was knocked off his feet by a wave and dragged him up the beach where his mum, left, and a passing man grabbed his hand.
Photo: Fran McElhone.
The emergency services, RNLI and Coastguard teams, have been searching the sea and shoreline for two men since Christmas morning after strong winds, powerful waves and undercurrents pulled swimmers out to sea.
Hundreds of Christmas revellers flocked to Budleigh beach to take part in the town’s annual festive swim, which traditionally starts an hour earlier than the Exmouth dip.
But the fun soon turned to tragedy when swimmers had to be pulled from the water, with some needing hospital treatment.
Fran said she was hit by the urge to warn a group of lads against swimming after seeing the treacherous conditions.
She said: “No one should have attempted to go in. People were taken by surprise by the sea conditions at Budleigh. I’m an experienced sea swimmer and I was taken by surprise by the absolute power of the drag.
“When we got in, I did look around and to my horror I saw a few people swimming and they were quite far away. At that point I saw them doing overarm strokes.
“I’m absolutely devastated to hear that people might have died. It’s really shocking and upsetting.”
Mum-one-Fran added: “When I got down there, I really had this motherly urge to say to this group of lads ‘please don’t go in’ but I didn’t because I thought they would just laugh at me.”
The crowd on Budleigh beach waiting for the Christmas swim to start.
Photo: Fran McElhone.
Police said searches for the two men missing in the water at Budleigh had continued throughout the afternoon.
The next of kin of one of the missing men has been spoken to by police and enquiries to contact the family of the second man are ongoing.
Amid the earlier rescue efforts, police had warned against going into the sea at neighbouring Exmouth, urging Christmas swimmers to avoid the annual festive dip, which traditionally starts an hour later than the Budleigh event.
And the public is urged by police to avoid any Boxing Day swims in East Devon, because of ‘safety reasons’.
Investigating officers want to hear from any swim witnesses who have not yet spoken to police.
A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesperson said: “Searches and enquiries are continuing for two men who are believed to be missing in the water in Budleigh Salterton.
“Emergency services were called at 10.25am today [25 December] to the beach at Budleigh Salterton following concerns for people in the water.
“A number of people were safely recovered to shore and checked either by paramedics at the scene or taken to hospital as a precaution.
“Two men remain missing at this time and searches and enquiries are ongoing in efforts to locate them.”
The spokesperson added: “The next of kin of one man have been spoken to. Enquiries to speak to the family of the second man are ongoing, however a local friend has been informed as part of these efforts.
“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 – due to the current weather warnings we ask that this is this is the case today and for any Boxing Day swims.”
If you have information to help police, call 101, or report it through the force website, quoting log 191 of 25/12/25.
