UPDATE Thursday 11.10amA body has been found in the hunt for a holidaymaker who went missing at Loe Bar during the early hours of New Year’s Day.

Falmouth Coastguards has confirmed that although the body has yet to be identified, the search for the 27-year-old has been called off as a result of the discovery.

A coastguard spokesman said the body was found by a member of the public on Porthleven Beach at 9am today.

The search for the man, who is understood to have been from Guilford in Surrey, had been due to resume at low tide today, around midday.

He went missing at 1am on New Year’s Day after going paddling with a group of friends. It is thought he was hit by a wave and swept into the sea.

A search was carried out through the night and throughout yesterday by coastguards, lifeboats from the Lizard and Penlee and a helicopter from RNAS Culdrose, but to no avail.

Falmouth Packet:

 

UPDATE Thursday: A search for a missing 27-year-old who went missing after from Loe Bar after being swept into sea is expected to resume today.

Coastguads plan to resume the search at low tide today, at midday, to coincide with the low tide.

Emergency services suspended their search for the missing man when darkness fell yesterday.

A spokesman for Falmouth Coastguard said rescue teams had been searching throughout the afternoon until 5pm, when poor visibility meant they had to stand down.

He added: "The intention is to resume again at low tide tomorrow, at midday. That's when we have got the light and the low tide."

The spokesman said coastguards were still searching with the aim of finding the man alive, but acknowledged that hope was fading.

"There still hope we'll find someone but as time goes on we have to start being realistic," he added. 

 

UPDATE: As darkness falls this evening emergency crews remain at Loe Bar near Porthleven, searching for a 27-year-old 16 hours after he was first reported missing.

Coastguards from Mullion, Porthleven, Porthoustock and Penzance have been scouring the shorline since 1am today, following a 999 call to say a man was believed to have been swept out to sea. 

A coastguard spokesperson said a group of holidaymakers went paddling in the rough seas and one was swept off their feet. 

A helicopter from RNAS Culdrose and lifeboats from the Lizard and Penlee RNLI stations joined the search, with police on the scene. 

The rescue teams are currently focussing their search on the stretch of coastline between Porthleven and Gunwalloe. 

Phil Mathias, Falmouth Coastguard Watch Manager, said: "The weather for searching  has been particularly challenging and as the night went on conditions deteriorated. There have been south to south westerly gale force to severe gale force winds with very rough sea and rain.

"The teams have conducted a very intensive search for the missing person. We have been able to focus our efforts into a relatively tight area because of onshore winds but have still been unable to locate the missing person."

In the early hours of this morning the Lizard and Penlee lifeboats carried a number of searches offshore from the beach while the coastguard teams searched the along the beach and the helicopter over flew the whole area.

Conditions at the scene were described as being very difficult as the sea was rough with a very big surf running in onto the beach. This hampered the lifeboats ability to get close inshore.

After several hours of searching and with nothing found The Lizard and Penlee lifeboats were stood down with The Lizard returning to station just after 6am.

Coxswain Andrew Putt said: "The sea is very rough with a five metre swell which is causing a big surf to run in onto the beach, as we currently have southerly gale force winds. Due to the conditions we searched as close inshore as was possible, along with the crew of the Penlee lifeboat.

"There was no moonlight this morning and with the heavy squally showers, visibility at times was very poor."

A police spokesperson said the family of the man, believed to be from Guilford in Surrey, were aware of what was happening.
 

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Coastguards have been searching since 1am today for a holidaymaker feared to have been washed out to sea.

The 27-year-old, understood to be from Guilford in Surrey, was part of a group of friends that were on the beach celebrating the arrival of the New Year.

A spokesperson for Falmouth Coastguard said four of them had been hit by a wave, but only three managed to return to shore.

It has been reported that the group may have been paddling in the water when one of them was knocked from their feet. 

Coastguard teams from Mullion, Porthleven, Porthoustock and Penzance have been hunting since 1am and remain on the scene this morning.

Conditions deteriorated as the night went on, with gale force winds, heavy rain and very rough seas. 

It is understood the search continued until around 4.30am, when it was suspended until first light. It remains ongoing. 

A rescue helicopter from RNAS Culdrose and lifeboat crews were initially unable to help in the search due to the terrible weather conditions and 10ft waves.