Two men are feared missing in the sea off the Devon coast after taking part in a Christmas Day swim.
The pair are believed to have gone into the water at Budleigh Salterton beach, Devon & Cornwall Police said.
Officers have urged people to stay out of the water at Budleigh and Exmouth beaches as Coastguard and RNLI crews continue their search.
Hundreds of swimmers had gathered at the coast for the unofficial Christmas Day dip when the alarm was raised at 10.25am following concerns about people in the water.
A number of swimmers were safely brought back to shore and checked over by paramedics.
RNLI rescue teams were seen battling through waves at the beach as they scoured the water for the missing men.
A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "The next of kin of one man have been spoken to. Enquiries to speak to the family of the second man are ongoing, however a local friend has been informed as part of these efforts.
"A significant amount of emergency service personnel were deployed to the incident and we ask that people do not enter the water for public safety reasons – due to the current weather warnings we ask that this is this is the case today and for any Boxing Day swims."
The UK Coastguard confirmed earlier that search teams were helping to comb the seas.
It said: "HM Coastguard said it was alerted at around 10am.
"Exmouth and Beer Coastguard Rescue Teams, RNLI lifeboats from Exmouth and Torbay and coastguard search and rescue helicopters have been sent to the scene to assist, alongside police and ambulance service."
A weather warning is in place in Devon today for "strong and gust east to northeasterly winds".
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