A body has been found in the search for a 15-year-old boy who was swept out to sea off the coast of Marloes Sands in Pembrokeshire. The teenager, from Yorkshire, had been on a family holiday when he entered the water on August 30 along with his father and brother.
All three were reportedly swept away by the conditions. His father and brother managed to return to shore, but the 15-year-old remained unaccounted for. A large-scale rescue operation was launched by emergency services, including the RNLI, HM Coastguard, and police. The initial search was called off two days later, but police confirmed on September 9 that a body had been found.
Dyfed-Powys Police stated that the next of kin have been informed and their thoughts are with the family. The alarm was first raised at approximately 3 p.m. on August 30, when the family encountered difficulties in the choppy waters. Witnesses described the waves as large and powerful, exacerbated by an incoming tide and onshore winds.
Locals in the nearby village of Dale reported hearing search helicopters overhead for hours throughout the evening of the incident, with one resident confirming aircraft had been searching for up to four hours. A spokesperson for HM Coastguard confirmed at the time that they received a report of three people in difficulty in the water.
Marloes Sands is known as a popular tourist destination. However, reports indicate that rocks beneath the surface of the water can make swimming hazardous at times.