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

A passer-by allegedly attempted to alert a young family about the perils of entering the water at a 'red-flagged' beach in Cornwall as Storm Austen continues to wreak havoc across the UK. During Storm Austen today, 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.

They were confronted by a male passer-by shortly before 2pm, when father seemed to begin 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, reports Cornwall Live . 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! "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!

"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! "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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