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Tributes have been paid to one of two men who went missing during a Christmas Day swim.
The family of Matthew Upham issued a tribute to him on the Instagram account of his antiques business, saying he was “deeply loved and forever missed”.
Emergency services were called to Budleigh Salterton at 10.25am on Christmas Day after concerns were raised for people in the water.
A number of people were safely brought to shore but two men – one in his 40s and another in his 60s – could not be found. Of the people who were rescued, two were checked by paramedics and one was taken by ambulance to hospital as a precaution.
In a statement posted on Upham’s Instagram account, his 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.”
Upham, from Budleigh Salterton, ran an antiques business called Matthew Upham Antiques in the Devon town.
A coastguard search for the two men has been called off.
On Boxing Day, police said both men were still missing. A spokesperson added: “Police inquiries are ongoing. A police presence remains at the scene.”
The coastguard stopped searching the water at 5pm but police said onshore inquiries continued into the evening. The men’s families had been informed.
While there is no official weather warning in place on Boxing Day, some sea swims have been cancelled and police in Devon and Cornwall have urged people not to get into the water.
On Christmas Day, Det Supt Hayley Costar, of Devon and Cornwall police, said officers had responded 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,” she said.
“There have been weather warnings in place this week and a number of official and unofficial swims have already been cancelled. 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.”
The coastguard said its search was stood down at 5pm. A spokesperson said: “Alerted at around 10am, Exmouth and Beer coastguard rescue teams, RNLI lifeboats from Exmouth, Teignmouth and Torbay, coastguard search and rescue helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft were sent to the scene to assist, alongside police and ambulance service.
“Searches have continued throughout the day to find two men believed to still be in the water. After extensive shoreline and offshore searches, the coastguard part of the search was stood down at 5pm.”
Julia Robb, a resident who had been watching swimmers at the beach before the men went missing, said it had been a “very cold and windy” day and the waves “would have been at least 6ft”. She said it was only when she heard helicopters it became clear something was wrong.
Robb added: “It was a sad thing to happen on what had been such a positive morning. I just feel sorry for those who have been affected. I think it will be shocking for the whole community. We are a small town. People are very friendly. I think it is important to think of the friends and families of those who have been affected.”
