Fight breaks out on Cornwall beach as family with small children ignore 80mph wind warnings to go boogie boarding during Storm Austen

Published: 07:16 EDT, 26 October 2026 | Updated: 07:59 EDT, 26 October 2026 A father punched a man who warned him not to take his young family boogie boarding in the sea during storm Austen's 80mph winds.Footage shows a dad leading his family all dressed in wet suits on Friday, October 23, onto Polzeath Beach in Cornwall and heading towards the sea with boogie boards. A man, who a witness believed was warning the dad not to take his family into the sea during a strong storm, is then punched once to the head.Despite the beach being 'red flagged' by the RNLI because it was directly in the path of Storm Austen, the father seemed intent on taking his family out into the waves. After the punch, he and his children remained on the beach until RNLI lifeguards escorted them away, according to the witness.Asking not to be named, the witness told Cornwall Live: 'I was just at Polzeath Beach and witnessed a family with young children enter the red-flagged beach.'A passer-by then approached them and the father of the family proceeded to punch him in the face.'The passer-by walked off after the altercation and a few minutes after the lifeguards on the beach asked the family to leave. Seconds before the dad in the red and black wet suit lands a punch on the man speaking to him After throwing the punch the father is asked to leave the beach with his family by the RNLI Port Gaverne beach a few miles from Polzeath Beach in Cornwall which was battered by storms'We were sat having a coffee and watched the family with very young-looking kids heading down to the water's edge, battling with their boogie boards.'We thought they must be crazy going in as the swell and sea state was so rough, not to mention the 50mph winds.'After a couple of minutes of being in the water, a passer-by walked to the water's edge. We assumed they were suggesting it wasn't safe.'Before long, the dad in the water sprinted out and started confronting the passer-by, who was obviously concerned for the family's safety.'The dad then got very close to the passer-by and put his fists up. Before we could start recording, he punched him. 'The passer-by didn't seem to take the bait and shrugged it off.' Do you know anyone involved. Email cameron.charters@dailymail.co.uk