A father punched a passer-by on Polzeath beach in Cornwall after the man reportedly tried to warn his family about the dangers of entering the sea during Storm Austen, which brought winds of up to 80mph to some coastal areas, according to the Met Office.
The couple and their two young children were filmed playing on the beach in wetsuits with bodyboards, despite a red-flag warning being in place. The incident occurred shortly before 2pm, when the father allegedly adopted a fighting stance and moved his fists towards the passer-by before visibly striking him.
Witness describes confrontation
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 witness added that the passer-by walked off after the altercation, and a few minutes later lifeguards asked the family to leave. They described watching the family "battling with their boogie boards" in rough conditions, noting the "50 mph winds" and the dangerous swell.
RNLI intervenes
The witness continued: "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!"
They said the passer-by "didn't seem to take the bait and shrugged it off." Soon after, the RNLI arrived and removed the family from the beach, with the witness saying they "were glad to see" the intervention.
Storm Austen, the first named storm of the current season, brought fierce gales and torrential rain across the UK throughout the day. 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.
