Cornwall beach fight breaks out after family ignore red flag warning during Storm Austen

Cornwall beach fight breaks out after family ignore red flag warning during Storm Austen A couple and their two young children were filmed frolicking on Polzeath beach in wetsuits with bodyboards as Storm Austen brought winds of up to 80mph Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments By Lisa Letcher , Paige Ingram 22:16, Fri, Oct 23, 2026 Updated: 23:03, Fri, Oct 23, 2026 A fight broke out on Polzeath beach when a young family took to the water while it was red-flagged during Storm Austen today (October 23) (Image: Submitted) A violent altercation erupted on a Cornish beach after a passer-by allegedly attempted to alert a young family about the perils of entering the water at a 'red-flagged' beach in Cornwall .

During Storm Austen today (Friday, October 23), which brought gusts reaching 80mph to certain coastal areas of Cornwall, according to the Met Office , a couple accompanied by their two small children were recorded playing on Polzeath beach wearing wetsuits and carrying bodyboards. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT The sole beachgoers present were confronted by a male passer-by shortly before 2pm, whereupon the father adopted an aggressive posture and began raising his fists towards the man.

He subsequently returned and clearly struck the other man before the passer-by departed the area, while the father made his way towards the water with one of his children. An observer, who requested anonymity, stated: "I was just at Polzeath Beach and witnessed a family with young children enter the red-flagged beach. A passerby then approached them and the father of the family proceeded to punch him in the face!, reports Cornwall Live .

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You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . RNLI were at the scene (Image: Submitted) The passer-by walked off after the altercation and a few minutes after the lifeguards on the beach asked the family to leave. ". He continued: "We were sat having a coffee and watched the family with very young-looking kids heading down to the water's edge, battling with their boogie boards.We thought they must be crazy going in as the swell and sea state was so rough, not to mention the 50 mph winds!

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT "After a couple of minutes of being in the water, a passerby walked to the water's edge and we assumed they were suggesting it wasn't safe. Before long, the dad in the water sprinted out and started confronting the passerby, who was obviously concerned for the family's safety. The dad then got very close to the passerby and put his fists up, before we could start recording, he punched him! Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT "The passerby didn't seem to take the bait and shrugged it off.

He said that soon after the RNLI arrived and removed the family, saying they "were glad to see" it." Storm Austen marks the opening named storm of this storm season, delivering powerful gales and torrential downpours across swathes of the UK throughout the day. Furthermore, a red flag displayed at any seaside location indicates active hazardous conditions, including elevated surf or powerful rip currents, meaning the water should remain off-limits - warnings this family seemingly chose to completely ignore.

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