Missing Christmas Day swimmer ‘tried to save others’ in ‘frightening’ conditions

A man who survived a Christmas Day swim which is believed to have killed two people said it was the ‘worst ever’ water conditions.

Mike Brown was rescued from the waters at the annual event off the coast of Budleigh Salterton in Devon on Thursday.

Antiques dealer Matthew Upham, 63, is believed to have been killed alongside an unnamed man in his 40s.

Mr Brown said they struggled in waves as tall as six-foot, and two local men who rescued him put themselves at risk after spotting him struggling.

One of the men was even knocked over by the force of the waves.

Mr Brown told the BBC: ‘It was much worse conditions than normal and some of the worst conditions I’ve ever tried to swim in. With hindsight it was clearly a mistake to try and get in.

‘They took an arm each and dragged me to safety and as quick as it had started, it was over, I was on the beach and I was safe.’

It is thought the man in his 40s still missing entered the water to try and save Mr Upham.

In a statement posted to his antiques 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.’

Mr Upham was described by friends as a ‘very fit’ man who swam almost every day.

Exmouth Coastguard Rescue Team described the sea conditions as ‘atrocious’.

They said: ‘The incident reflected the commitment and dedication across agencies especially our friends and colleagues RNLI Exmouth who put to sea without hesitation in an atrocious sea state. 

‘Coastguard rescue Officers were deployed from 1015-1700 searching the shoreline repeatedly in the face of big waves and wind at times.

‘Whilst searching we also had to deal with getting folk off the beach in a safe and timely manner, liaising with the helicopters in securing a landing zone if needed and ensuring assets were deployed appropriately.’

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