An antiques dealer is feared to have tragically drowned after being swept out to sea during a Christmas Day dip in Devon. Matthew Upham, 63, who ran Matthew Upham Antiques, has been locally identified as one of two men who vanished at Budleigh Salterton on the morning of December 25.
Another man, in his 40s, is also missing and it’s believed he may have attempted to rescue Mr Upham.
In a heartfelt statement shared on social media on Boxing Day, Matthew’s family said: “Our family is heartbroken by the loss of our beloved family member Matthew Upham, who was reported missing on Christmas morning.
“Matthew is deeply loved and will be forever missed.
“We would like to express our sincere and heartfelt thanks to the emergency services who responded, particularly the RNLI and coastguard, for their dedication, professionalism, and tireless efforts during this extremely difficult time.”
“We are profoundly grateful for their compassion and support.
“As we grieve and support one another, we kindly ask that our family’s privacy is respected.
“We thank everyone for their understanding, kindness, and condolences.”
Following the announcement, numerous tributes were posted online. One person wrote: “My thoughts and prayers are with your family. A bright shining light, bringing joy and happiness wherever he went.
“Matthew is so loved and missed, I feel so incredibly grateful to have known him”.
Another added: “Matthew will be greatly missed by many, many people.
“He was a beautiful man with the sweetest soul and only had kind words to say about everyone and we were all a little in love with him.”
Mates described Matthew as a “kind” and “cheerful” bloke who was well-known throughout the local community.
“He’s an exceptionally kind man, very well liked in the town. He goes swimming practically every day, he’s very fit and knows the waters locally well,” a close pal revealed to the Daily Mail.
Another mate said: “I spoke to someone who was at the beach yesterday and saw what happened.
“It looks as though Matthew was trying to come out of the water, but was pulled back out and drifted further down the beach.
“We don’t know who the man in his 40s is. We believe he is someone who’d gone to try and help Matthew.
“Matthew is a one of a kind, such a nice cheerful man. He’s got so many friends locally.”
Emergency crews rushed to the shoreline at 10.25am after receiving reports that several people were struggling in the sea.
Hundreds had flocked to the beaches in Budleigh Salterton and Exmouth for their festive Christmas Day plunges, despite weather warnings for fierce winds battering the area.
As crowds waded into the waters at Budleigh, numerous emergency services were scrambled when several swimmers found themselves in peril. Several individuals were rescued and a comprehensive search operation was initiated for the two missing men, involving Exmouth and Beer Coastguard Rescue Teams, RNLI lifeboats from Exmouth, Teignmouth and Torbay, along with coastguard search and rescue helicopters.
After nearly seven hours of thorough searches, Devon and Cornwall Police sadly confirmed that the men were still missing, and their families had been informed.