Seaside hunt for missing Dylan, four, called off on second day

Dylan Cecil’s parents frantically tried to rescue him, following him into the water at Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, and were themselves pulled out by passers-by.

A large-scale search and rescue operation which was launched on Sunday night was called off yesterday afternoon.

Police had already warned the search had become an operation to recover a body and relatives paid tribute to the little boy who was on holiday with his parents Rachel McCollum and Darren Cecil, and his two younger sisters, aged one and three.

The family, from Kettering, were visiting Ms McCollum’s parents who live locally, and who said they could not have wished for a better grandson.

Stood next to a growing pile of floral tributes, Dylan’s grandparents said they wanted to thank everyone involved in the rescue effort.

Jackie McCollum said: “Rachel, our daughter, and Darren came up Friday with the kids, they were going back today and we were going to have the kids until Friday.

“We always had them for a week and would spoil them and Dylan always called us seaside nanny and granddad.

“He loved coming up to see us, he loved the seaside. He was a bubbly, bubbly, lovely kid. He was our only grandson. We’ve got five granddaughters, but he was our only grandson.”

David McCollum said: “We couldn’t have wished for a grandson any better.”

He added: “I just want to give thanks to everybody who has helped in the search mission and tried to get Dylan back for us. I can’t say thank you enough really. We’re all just devastated.”

Four coastguard rescue teams, four lifeboats, the coastguard sector manager, police and an RAF helicopter were all involved in the search and rescue operation, which was launched after a member of the public witnessed the boy’s parents’ attempts to rescue their son.

The water off the jetty is impossible to see through because of the mud flats and the strong tide currents would have made it very difficult to swim to shore, the coastguard said.

Dylan’s close family spent the day at the scene yesterday, anxiously waiting for news.

Superintendent Keith McCoubrey, of Avon and Somerset Police, said the family had been down on the beach playing with their three young children.

“At some point, Dylan wanted to go and see the sea, get a bit closer to it, and they went out on the jetty here, and unfortunately Dylan slipped off the edge and went under the water,” Supt McCoubrey said.

“At this time of year the tides here are very fast-flowing and the undercurrents are quite strong; unfortunately Dylan didn’t re-surface.

“Both his mum and dad entered the water immediately to try and recover Dylan, without success.

“The parents were in the water for quite a few minutes and they actually had to be pulled from the water by passers-by.”

He added: “There’s not much one can say in such tragic circumstances apart from the fact our hearts and minds and our sympathies are with the family at this time.”

Councillor Joe Leach, for Highbridge and Burnham Marine ward on Sedgemoor District Council, said: “The community here is completely stunned.”

Vince Irwin, coastguard sector manager for North Devon, said searchers had covered every possible area. “The search has now been terminated as of 4.30 this afternoon.”