Two boys and a man missing in separate sea incidents off Wales coast

A 14-year-old and 15-year-old were swimming at Barmouth beach when they got into difficulties

A RNLI lifeboat and a rescue helicopter search Barmouth Beach where two boys are missing in the sea (PA)

Two boys and a man are missing in the sea off the Welsh coast in separate incidents.

A 14-year-old and 15-year-old were swimming at Barmouth beach when they got into difficulties at around 1.40pm on Sunday.

In an unrelated incident a man was swept off a rock and into the water at Cardigan Bay the same afternoon.

The two teenagers were part of a large group visiting the beach from Birmingham.

Three RNLI lifeboats, three coastguard teams and the rescue helicopter were immediately sent out to try and rescue them but the pair have not been found.

Searches along the coastline are continuing but the water-based rescue operation has had to be called off for the night.

A coastguard spokeswoman said: "It was an intensive search of the area. The coastguard teams are carrying out a shoreline search along the coastline. Sadly they have not been found.

"It was reported the boys were aged 14 and 15 and part of a large group of people.

"It looks like there were two people in difficulty and another person in their same group went in to help.

"That person managed to get out of the water - both the other two were still in difficulty."

She added: "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."

A separate search was launched after a man was swept off rocks into the sea at Mwnt on Sunday afternoon.

He got cut off by the tide while walking with another man and fell into the sea, the coastguard said.

Lifeboat crews and coastguard teams were sent out along with the rescue helicopter.

A coastguard spokeswoman said: "There has been an intensive search for that man but he has not been found.

"He was an adult male and was washed or fell off rocks while he was with another man."

Press Association