Incident Date | 25-12-2025 |
| Launch Instruct | 10:00 |
| Lifeboat Used | ALB |
| Location of Casualty | Budleigh Salterton area. |
Alongside volunteers at Exmouth and Teignmouth RNLI, our volunteer lifeboat crew responded to the tasking by HM Coastguard around 10am on Christmas day to assist in the multi-agency incident involving people in difficulty in the water at Budleigh Salterton.
RNLI lifeboat crews were involved in the recovery of one person from the water and continued to search throughout the day for two people understood to still be in the water. All lifeboat crews were stood down by the Coastguard around 5pm, when they returned to stations.
Our thoughts remain with all those impacted by the incident and the family and friends of the two people who are missing.
Thank you to all RNLI volunteers and members of other emergency services who responded yesterday.
Conditions at sea were challenging, heading into powerful North Easterly winds. The crews involved in the search at sea were out all day conducting systematic search patterns, accompanied by HM Coastguard helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.
RNLI Torbay Coxswain Andrew Medley said. “Lifeboat crews from Exmouth, Teignmouth, and Torbay worked determinedly in punishing conditions to complete thorough search patterns throughout the day until last light. Our deepest thoughts are with the families affected by this incident. Huge thanks are due also to crew members and Launch Authorities who remained on station to provide logistical support and assistance in bringing the boat safely back alongside in the evening”.
Torbay Lifeboats 