One of the swimmers missing in the sea off the Devon coast has been named as antiquities dealer Matthew Upham, as his family issued a statement on social media.
The 63-year-old is feared to have died during a Christmas Day swim at Budleigh Salterton after he joined several other people on the beach yesterday for the annual event.
“Our family is heartbroken by the loss of our beloved family member Matthew Upham, who was reported missing on Christmas Morning,” his family said in a social media statement.
“Matthew is deeply loved and will be forever missed. We would like to express our sincere and heartfelt thanks to theemergency services who responded, particularly the RNLI and coastguard, for their dedication, professionalism, and tireless efforts during this extremely difficult time.
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“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,” they added.
Emergency services were called to Budleigh Salterton at 10.25am on Christmas Day after concerns for people in the water.
Several swimmers were safely recovered to shore and checked by paramedics or taken to hospital as a precaution.
However, two men remained unaccounted for.
Christmas Day swimmers have been pulled from the water off the Devon coast | PA
