Two men remain missing after being swept out to sea during a Christmas Day swim in Budleigh Salterton, Devon, prompting an extensive search operation and urgent warnings against Boxing Day swims. One of the missing swimmers has been identified as Matthew Upham, a 63-year-old antiques dealer, while the second man, in his 40s, is believed to have entered the water attempting to rescue him.
Upham's family posted a heartbreaking tribute on his Instagram account. «Our family is heartbroken by the loss of our beloved family member Matthew Upham, who was reported missing on Christmas morning,» the statement read. «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.»
Emergency services were called at 10:25 AM on Christmas Day after reports of people in difficulty in the water. A major search operation deployed Coastguard rescue teams from Exmouth and Beer, RNLI lifeboats from Exmouth, Teignmouth and Torbay, search and rescue helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft. The Coastguard search was stood down at 5 PM after extensive shoreline and offshore searches failed to locate the two men.
Treacherous conditions
Conditions at the scene were described as extremely hazardous. Witnesses reported waves "almost 10ft" high, with winds gusting up to 65 mph along exposed coasts. The Met Office had issued a yellow weather warning for wind covering parts of South West England and Wales on Christmas Day.
«Conditions at sea were extremely difficult and cold for the crew involved in the search who were out all day,» an RNLI Teignmouth crew statement said. One lifeboat was unable to return directly to its station due to challenging conditions and had to divert to Torbay for recovery.
Local resident Julia Robb witnessed the scene. «It is just awful,» she said. The conditions were «very cold and windy» with waves that «would have been at least 6ft, I would have thought». «I think it will be shocking for the whole community. We are a small town. People are very friendly,» she added.
Public anger and questions
The decision to proceed with the traditional swim despite severe weather warnings has sparked public outcry. Several other Christmas and Boxing Day swims in Devon and Cornwall had been cancelled earlier due to the weather warning.
«Why was this even allowed?» one resident wrote on social media. Another commented: «[It] should never have gone ahead. No respect for the emergency services or for their own safety.»
The Budleigh Salterton Christmas Day swim is an unofficial, traditional event with no formal organization. One anonymous resident detailed the lack of safety measures: «The Boxing Day Swim has no such controls – it's open to all-comers, any age, any ability, drunk or sober, undiagnosed health conditions or not. We can't tell – people just turn up and run into the water. They don't give their names and certainly don't sign a waiver.»
Police urge against Boxing Day swims
Devon and Cornwall Police have issued an urgent warning to anyone planning Boxing Day sea swims. Detective Superintendent Hayley Costar described the Budleigh Salterton events as «a truly tragic incident».
«While there are no official warnings in place for tomorrow, we urge anyone with plans to go swimming in the sea on Boxing Day not to,» Costar said. «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.»
RNLI Teignmouth confirmed their "Boxing Day Walk In The Sea" was cancelled, adding: «We kindly ask that people don't take part independently.»
Friends of Matthew Upham described him as «an exceptionally kind man» who was «very well liked in the town». «He goes swimming practically every day, he's very fit and knows the waters locally well,» one friend told the Daily Mail. Another friend said regarding the second missing man: «We don't know who the man in his 40s is. We believe he is someone who'd gone to try and help Matthew.»
Police inquiries are ongoing, with a police presence remaining at the scene. One man's next of kin has been informed, while enquiries continue for the second man's family.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).