One of the two men who were swept away at sea during a Christmas Day swim in Devon has been named by his family.
Antiques shop owner Matthew Upham was reported missing on Thursday morning after a “truly tragic incident” in Budleigh Salterton.
Emergency services were called to the scene after several people were seen struggling among large waves at the beach. Several were escorted to safety, but two men in their forties and sixties remain missing and are feared dead.
After an extensive search, the operation was concluded on Thursday afternoon and the families of those missing were contacted.
Mr Upham’s family wrote in a statement on his company’s Instagram page on Friday: “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.”
It continued: “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.”
The incident came amid a Met Office yellow weather warning for wind, which was in place for parts of the South West of England and Wales on Thursday. Police urged members of the public to avoid swimming in the water on Boxing Day on Friday.
Footage from the day shows several people struggling to get out of the water as large waves crash against the shore.
Detective Superintendent Hayley Costar, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “Today, emergency services have been responding to a truly tragic incident in Budleigh Salterton.
“Our thoughts remain firmly with the families and friends of the two men who are currently missing and to all who may have witnessed and be impacted by the incident. The local community will have seen a significant amount of emergency services in the area throughout the day as extensive enquiries have been ongoing.
“As dark falls, a number of these searches have been stood down, with some police enquiries on land continuing this evening.”
Coastguard rescue teams from surrounding areas were assisted by search and rescue helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, along with police and ambulance personnel.
