Drowned man failed to see warning

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A holidaymaker who drowned after getting into difficulty while swimming in the sea in Devon failed to spot nine red warning flags, an inquest heard.

Nigel Hunt, 41, from Newport, south Wales, was off Teignmouth coast when the incident happened on 24 July 2008.

He was swimming with his teenage son when the pair were caught by a strong current and 10ft (3m) high swells.

Mr Hunt was airlifted to hospital but died. South Devon Coroner Ian Arrow recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Dragged under

In a statement read out in court from Mr Hunt's 15-year-old son, Thomas, the inquest in Exeter heard about the moment the pair got into difficulty.

"I could feel a strong weird current pulling on both legs, I was being pulled down and out to sea," Thomas recalled in his statement.

"The water was getting deeper and I couldn't touch the bottom."

The inquest heard that he was dragged under the water for about five seconds by the current and that his father - who was just two feet (60cm) away - was urging him to "swim".

It is virtually impossible to stop everyone going into the sea if they are determined Kevin Gilding, Teignbridge Council

The coroner's court was told that eventually Thomas made it back to the shore and raised the alarm.

Although relative Samantha Hunt, 21, told the inquest the lifeguard hut was shut and she had not seen any red flags flying warning beachgoers to stay out of the water, the court heard that flags had been flown.

Kevin Gilding, Teignbridge Council Tourism Officer, told the inquest that beach staff had put out the red flags at lunchtime because of the adverse conditions - several hours before the Hunts went swimming.

He added that the council was under no legal obligation to hire lifeguards.

"It was windy and the sea was unusually rough for a July day," he said.

"This sort of tragedy highlights the danger of the sea around the estuaries. It is virtually impossible to stop everyone going into the sea if they are determined."