A couple and their two young children were filmed frolicking on Polzeath beach in Cornwall in wetsuits with bodyboards as Storm Austen and a warning was in place
A brawl erupted on a Cornish beach after a passer-by allegedly attempted to alert a young family about the perils of entering the sea at a “red-flagged” beach in Cornwall. During Storm Austen , which brought winds reaching up to 80mph to some coastal areas of Cornwall, according to the Met Office, a couple and their two young children were captured on film playing on Polzeath beach in wetsuits with bodyboards.
The sole beachgoers at the time were confronted by a male passer-by shortly before 2pm, when the father adopted a fighting stance and began moving his fists towards the man.
He quickly returned and visibly struck the other man before the passer-by departed the scene, and the father made his way to the sea with one of his children, reports Cornwall Live.
A witness, who requested anonymity, said: “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, the first named storm of the current season, has unleashed fierce gales and torrential rain across swathes of the UK throughout the day.
It’s worth noting that a red flag at any beach signals hazardous conditions, such as powerful surf or dangerous rip currents, warning the public to stay out of the water – a warning this family appeared to have blatantly ignored.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.