On what should have been a festive Christmas morning in the picturesque seaside town of Budleigh Salterton, Devon, tragedy struck when two men disappeared during a traditional holiday swim, sending shockwaves through the local community and prompting a massive emergency response. The annual Christmas Day dip, a beloved ritual for many in southwest England, turned perilous as fierce winds and rough seas battered the coast, leaving families and friends anxiously awaiting news that never came.
According to Devon and Cornwall Police, the incident unfolded at 10:25 a.m. on December 25, 2025, when authorities received reports of swimmers in distress at Budleigh Salterton beach. As detailed by CNN, a group of people had entered the water for the customary holiday swim, but quickly found themselves overwhelmed by treacherous conditions. Several participants were safely pulled from the surf, checked by paramedics, and, in some cases, taken to hospital as a precaution. However, two men—one in his 40s and the other in his 60s—remained unaccounted for as the day wore on.
The rescue effort was swift and substantial. Emergency services deployed a formidable array of resources: coastguard rescue teams from Exmouth and Beer, RNLI lifeboats from Exmouth, Teignmouth, and Torbay, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, as well as police and ambulance personnel. HM Coastguard confirmed that their teams responded to reports of "people in difficulty" and that "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 families of the missing men were promptly informed, as were local friends, though police noted that efforts to reach the second man's family were ongoing into the evening. Detective Superintendent Hayley Costar of Devon and Cornwall Police addressed the public, stating, "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 weather played a pivotal role in the day’s events. The Met Office had issued a yellow weather warning for Christmas Day, forecasting "strong and gusty east to northeasterly winds" with gusts reaching up to 55-65 mph along exposed coasts of southwest England and Wales. According to the BBC, these conditions made the sea particularly hazardous. BBC journalist Phillip Stoneman, who has attended the Budleigh swim in previous years, described the scene: "As soon as we arrived you could tell that the sea was the roughest it's been and that anyone going in would need to be a lot more cautious than usual. The waves swept some people exiting the sea off their feet and other swimmers were helping them out."
Despite the dire warnings, hundreds of swimmers and spectators gathered on the pebble beach, many donning festive attire and Santa hats, eager to partake in the tradition. Photos from the scene captured the initial joy and excitement, but the mood quickly shifted as the peril became apparent. The Daily Mail reported, "Several other swimmers had to be dragged to safety from the choppy waters at Budleigh Salterton as high winds created huge swells." One local visitor, Melissa Hill, reflected on the tragedy, saying, "The coastguards have cordoned off part of the path where the swimmers set off from. They are overlooking the area where this happened. It is such an awful thing to have happened. There is no good time to die, but Christmas Day is so terrible. The conditions are dreadful. The sea is cold, the wind is strong, and the waves are crashing in. I can't believe anyone went into the water when it was like this."
Authorities made urgent appeals for public safety. Police asked people not to enter the water along this stretch of coast and specifically requested that swimmers avoid participating in the Exmouth Christmas Day swim while the incident at Budleigh Salterton was ongoing. As the day progressed and darkness fell, the search for the missing men was called off for the night, though some police enquiries continued on land.
In the days leading up to Christmas, organizers of several Christmas and Boxing Day swims in Devon and Cornwall had already decided to postpone or cancel events due to the severe weather warnings. The Met Office cautioned that "large waves will be an additional hazard on some coasts," and that peak gusts could reach 55 to 65 mph. Nevertheless, the festive spirit proved too strong for some, and the annual swim went ahead at Budleigh Salterton, with tragic consequences.
The local community was left reeling. A pensioner who witnessed the aftermath told the Daily Mail, "We went to the scene and we were told four people were missing. I don't know if that figure is still correct. But the conditions have been treacherous all day. There is nothing to protect swimmers from the elements here today." The sheer scale of the emergency response—multi helicopters, lifeboats, coastguards, and police—underscored the gravity of the situation. The RNLI, in a statement, expressed, "Our thoughts are with all those impacted by the incident and the family and friends of the two people who are missing."
Beyond the immediate tragedy, safety concerns extended further along the coast. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency warned swimmers to be cautious after shipping containers had recently fallen overboard from a cargo ship off the Isle of Wight, with metal fragments possibly present in the water. Arun District Council posted on social media, "If you are planning a festive swim this year, please take extra care along our beaches. Following the recent shipping container incident, there may still be metal fragments in the sea along our coastline. Please stay safe and if you see anyone in difficulty in the water, please call 999 and ask for the Coastguard."
By Boxing Day, police reiterated their plea for caution, even though no official weather warnings remained in effect. Detective Superintendent Costar urged, "While there are no official warnings in place for tomorrow, we urge anyone with plans to go swimming in the sea on Boxing Day not to." The somber tone reflected a community grappling with loss and the sobering realization that cherished traditions must sometimes yield to the forces of nature.
As the search for the two missing men paused with the setting sun, Budleigh Salterton was left to reflect on the fragility of life and the unpredictability of the sea. For many, this Christmas will be remembered not for celebration, but for the bravery of rescuers, the heartbreak of families, and the urgent reminder to respect nature’s power—even on the most joyful of days.
