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| Barmouth coast search for missing teenagers on hold over tide | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| The search for two teenagers missing off the Gwynedd coast will resume later after it was paused because of tidal conditions, rescuers have said. | |
| The boys, aged 14 and 15, got into difficulty in the water at Barmouth beach early on Sunday afternoon. | |
| They were part of a group of about 500 visitors from the Somali and Yemeni communities in Birmingham. | |
| The RNLI said its boats were on standby and the search could resume at about 18:00 BST. | |
| The coastguard said one person had been seen to "disappear under the water" and another person in the same group tried to help but managed to get out safely. | |
| Water rescue teams were stood down on Sunday evening, while a shoreline search continued. | Water rescue teams were stood down on Sunday evening, while a shoreline search continued. |
| It began again on Monday morning, with five coastguards rescue teams from Barmouth, Aberdovey, Fairbourne, Harlech and Criccieth involved. | It began again on Monday morning, with five coastguards rescue teams from Barmouth, Aberdovey, Fairbourne, Harlech and Criccieth involved. |
| But David Baily, the RNLI's lifeboat operations manager at Barmouth said the search had been stopped on Monday afternoon. | |
| He added: "At the moment there's a temporary pause in the search as we're waiting for the right tidal conditions and anticipate that we will restart at about six o'clock. | |
| "Our boats will be on standby as and when the coastguard calls on them." | |
| 'Mother fainted' | |
| Zaid Hassan, chairman of the Yemeni Community Association in Birmingham, helped organise the trip and said there were two Somali families while the rest were Yemeni. | |
| He said the 15-year-old is Yemeni and when his mother found out she fainted, needing hospital treatment, but has now returned to Birmingham with the rest of the group. | |
| The other boy is Somali. | |
| "As soon as we arrived in Barmouth, we gathered together to enjoy the day but unfortunately the happiness did not last long," said Mr Hassan. | |
| "After one hour, two boys in the sea were struggling to get out but they couldn't. | |
| "A number of the community were trying to rescue them but the wind and the waves were strong and they couldn't do much. | |
| "At first we thought it was just one man struggling [in the sea]. He could not swim back to the beach. | |
| "The emergency rescue team was called and then the man said there were also two boys. | |
| "He said: 'I tried [to save them] but I couldn't.' | |
| He added: "We are shocked, it's tragedy and for the families we are so upset. | |
| "It's like a dream. We cannot believe what's happened." | |
| BBC Wales' Brendon Williams at Barmouth Beach | BBC Wales' Brendon Williams at Barmouth Beach |
| Barmouth beach would usually be packed with holidaymakers at this time of year - yet, it was almost deserted as the search resumed. | Barmouth beach would usually be packed with holidaymakers at this time of year - yet, it was almost deserted as the search resumed. |
| While the weather was overcast, with a strong wind, only a handful were seen walking along it on Monday morning and nobody was swimming. | While the weather was overcast, with a strong wind, only a handful were seen walking along it on Monday morning and nobody was swimming. |
| An RNLI inshore lifeboat went out in the morning and 4x4 vehicles patrolled up and down the beach. | An RNLI inshore lifeboat went out in the morning and 4x4 vehicles patrolled up and down the beach. |
| But the incoming tide has now made it difficult to drive on large parts of the beach. | But the incoming tide has now made it difficult to drive on large parts of the beach. |
| The area had been packed with people on Sunday, with people enjoying more typical August weather. | The area had been packed with people on Sunday, with people enjoying more typical August weather. |
| It was near a busy section of sandy beach near the town's RNLI station that the incident unfolded. | It was near a busy section of sandy beach near the town's RNLI station that the incident unfolded. |
| After the teenagers went missing, a coastguard rescue helicopter, lifeboats, coastguard rescue teams and police were all involved in the search. | After the teenagers went missing, a coastguard rescue helicopter, lifeboats, coastguard rescue teams and police were all involved in the search. |
| Conditions in the area were "choppy" and searches were carried out in strong winds but the boys were not found. | Conditions in the area were "choppy" and searches were carried out in strong winds but the boys were not found. |
| A coastguard spokeswoman said: "There were a lot of people there - our report was that there were a number of people in the water and two people unaccounted for, one person had been seen to disappear under the water. | A coastguard spokeswoman said: "There were a lot of people there - our report was that there were a number of people in the water and two people unaccounted for, one person had been seen to disappear under the water. |
| "When the group on the beach checked who they had with them and who they didn't there were two people from the group unaccounted for and missing in the water." | "When the group on the beach checked who they had with them and who they didn't there were two people from the group unaccounted for and missing in the water." |