Search continues for 20-month-old boy swept out to sea in Spanish storms

The search continued on Tuesday for a 20-month-old boy who was swept out to sea by a wave during a storm that hit the north of Spain on Monday afternoon.

The incident happened at a beach near the town of Navia in the region of Asturias. The boy and his family were crossing a narrow area of sand on the beach during an orange alert danger warning.

The boy was being carried by his grandfather, who was knocked over by a powerful wave and unable to hold on to the child, who then disappeared into the water.

The boy's father tried to dive into the sea to look for his son, but other people on the beach held him back given the height and power of the waves and the lack of visibility.

Rescue services were soon in the area and a helicopter from Spain's Maritime Safety Agency searched the nearby coastline until midnight local time. The search was reopened on Tuesday morning with two further helicopters joining in search duties.

Strong winds and waves hit all of the north of Spain on Monday night with red alerts placed in many parts of the Basque region where waves of up to nine meters caused minor flood damage in the towns of Zarautz, Bermeo and San Sebastian. Endit