Man drowns during family holiday

Red flags were flying all day warning people to stay out of the sea

A 42-year-old holidaymaker has died after getting into difficulties swimming in the sea in Devon.

The incident, involving a family on holiday from the Cardiff area, happened off Teignmouth on Thursday afternoon.

Attempts were made to resuscitate the man before he was airlifted to Torbay Hospital. His son was treated at the scene.

Red flags were out warning bathers not to go into the sea. A police spokesman said the family had returned to Wales.

The man's wife and two other children were on the beach while the searches were carried out.

The waves were really, really high Lucy Cooper, eyewitness

The dead man has not yet been named.

A Devon and Cornwall police spokesman said: "This was a very, very tragic accident.

"The current got hold of them and the father got dragged under the water," he added.

Eyewitnesses reported a massive search operation to locate and rescue the pair from the sea.

Lucy Cooper, who was on the beach at the time, said: "I saw a huge helicopter, lifeboats, policemen, lifeguards. The waves were really, really high."

Local coastguards were able to pull the man's son from the sea and he was treated at the scene. He is not believed to have been seriously hurt.

Red flags had been flying on Teignmouth beach all day because of wind and tidal conditions, warning people not to go in the sea.

The death comes amid warnings from RNLI lifeguards to pay close attention to the beach flag warning system, particularly in neighbouring Cornwall where big surf and low spring tides are currently forecast.

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