On This Day in Wembury — 11 June 1947
The Western Moprning News reported that a body of a Plymouth Youth had been recovered at sea
The body of Thomas Leslie Channings, aged 18, of 58 Durham Avenue, Plymouth, was recovered half a mile off Knap Point by Skipper D. Harrison of the R.A.S.C. vessel Morevale.
Channings had been reported missing, believed drowned, after bathing off Wembury on Whit Monday, 26 May. Despite an intensive police and coastguard search, no trace of him was found until this discovery.
The tragic find closed a fortnight of uncertainty for his family, who had held out hope as searches continued along the shoreline.
This sad case reminds us how dangerous the sea at Wembury can be, even for strong swimmers. Stories of drownings stretch back through the parish record—children trapped by tides, sailors washed ashore, bathers swept out. Each reminds us that the same waters which draw people here for leisure and beauty also demand respect for their hidden risks.
Source: Western Morning News, 11 June 1947