What on Earth were they thinking? Pictures show the terrifying moment a young family were ENGULFED by a huge wave as they walked along Cornish sea front
These photographs show the extraordinary moment a family were engulfed by a gigantic wave which crashed over the sea wall at a resort in Cornwall.
The father, mother and three young children were walking along a barrier at Mullion Cove, which is almost the southernmost point in all of Britain.
Suddenly, a 20ft wave came over the top of the wall, drenching all four members of the family.
Witnesses criticised the parents for taking their children so close to the sea during turbulent conditions, which have prompted officials to warn the public to stay away from the coast.
Danger: A young family walking along a sea wall in Mullion Cove, Cornwall during stormy weather yesterday
Do you know the family who were nearly swept away? Contact hugo.gye@dailymail.co.uk with any information.
The incident could have been extremely dangerous for the parents and children, who were in the middle of a narrow walkway and were nearly swept into the sea.
But thankfully, the unidentified family appeared to be unhurt - even if they were left extremely wet.
Onlooker Phil Rodda, who was standing at a safe distance during the incident yesterday , said he was shocked to see the family exposing themselves to potential danger.
'We could see the young family, a man and a woman with three or four kids in all,' he said. 'The man was lifting his little girl up against the railings so she could get a better view.
Wave: The family were suddenly engulfed by a huge surge which crashed over the top of the wall
'Suddenly this huge wave came crashing over the harbour wall and knocked the dad off his feet. He fell back onto the ground, still clutching the girl - they were very close to being swept away.
'The mother then ran over and grabbed the girl before they traipsed off looking drenched and rather sheepish.
'Anyone who knows the sea around here knows what it's capable off so I'm guessing they were from out of town. It was a ludicrous thing to do and incredibly dangerous.'
The incident happened in the same harbour where a holidaying couple were swept to their deaths during a seaside stroll in 2007.
Elsewhere, sightseers who flocked to the coast to witness the dramatic scenes were ordered to move by officials amidst fears they were putting their own lives at risk.
Aftermath: The family looked completely drenched after the wave came crashing down over them
Carmarthenshire County Council called in the police to move on sightseers who turned out in large numbers at Burry Port, in south-west Wales.
The coastal town, which sits on a tidal estuary, was lashed by huge waves and winds of more than 70mph during the morning high tide.
Sightseers were using a car park close to the town's RNLI station which was a potentially dangerous area because of debris being thrown out of the sea.
The Environment Agency criticised people who lined the shore to watch the waves battering Britain's coasts.
'Clearly it is dangerous to get too close to these waves,' a spokesman said. 'There is colossal power in these waves that can knock people off their feet.
'We would advice people to keep well away. There have already been two fatalities this year already and we urge you not to add to those statistics.'
Recovering: The parents and children were hit by another smaller on a different part of the wall
A total of 21 severe flood warnings - suggesting conditions so bad that lives will be at risk - are in place across Britain.
Areas are already under water but South Wales and North Devon are set to be worst hit tonight with 10.4m high tides hitting Porthcawl and 9.7m hitting Ilfracombe at around 7.30pm.
Waves of 30ft have been consistently hitting the coast since the pre-Christmas storms. The waves are pushed in from the South Atlantic and crash straight into the West Country off the Atlantic Ocean.
Residents of low-lying areas have been warned to pack their bags because the violent Atlantic storm is expected to overwhelm large parts of the nation’s battered flood defences.
The Environment Agency has issued 21 severe flood warnings for the Midlands and western areas, warning residents of danger to life.
Some 437 less severe alerts were issued for other parts of the country as forecasters warned of winds of up to 60mph and days of rain.
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