An antiques dealer is feared to have vanished after entering the sea to assist a woman in distress during a Christmas Day swim in Devon. Matthew Upham, 63, has not been seen since the incident in Budleigh Salterton, where a major rescue operation was launched on Christmas morning.
Friends reported that Mr Upham went into the stormy waters to help a woman struggling. While several individuals were successfully rescued and either checked by paramedics or taken to hospital as a precaution, two men, aged in their 40s and 60s, remain unaccounted for, according to Devon & Cornwall Police.
Local dressmaker Gail Williams paid tribute to Mr Upham on Monday, saying he was “a valued and upstanding member of the Budleigh Salterton community”.
“My dear friend put others before himself on Christmas Day, seeing a woman in trouble. Matthew, on true form, went to help along with the other unnamed man,” Ms Williams said in her statement.
“They entered the water to save them and sadly paid the price in the place he loved so much.
“It is beyond imaginable what he went through in the sea.”
Ms Williams added Mr Upham, whom she says she first met seven years ago when he brought his mother to her shop in Budleigh Salterton to have alterations done on their clothing, was “an accomplished sea swimmer” who spent “hours swimming most days”.
“His loss has affected so many far and wide, I know we are all struggling to come to terms with the tragic loss,” she said.
“He leaves behind his lovely family and his loving friends. We will forever miss him and love him.
“My heart broke hearing the tragic news on Christmas Day and life will never be quite the same for me without my dear friend in it.”
Singer Kate Bush, who was also a friend of Mr Upham, paid tribute to him in a post on her website on Sunday.
“Matthew was one of my very dearest friends. I’d known him for 30 years,” said “Running Up That Hill” singer Bush, 67.
“He was one of those people who touched everyone he met.
“He was extraordinarily kind, thoughtful and lived life to the full.
“He was also a great deal of fun.
“His family are heartbroken and along with many of his friends, so am I.
“Matthew was a very strong swimmer. He had a great love for kayaking. He understood that the sea should be respected.”
According to his website, Mr Upham ran appointment-only Matthew Upham Antiques on the town’s High Street, offering “a captivating assortment of chandeliers sourced from various regions across Europe”.
The business traded for four decades in London before moving to the seaside town.
In a Facebook post shared on Christmas Day afternoon, East Devon District Council urged locals to “think twice before taking the plunge this festive season”.
The local authority said cold water shock, strong currents and unpredictable weather conditions can turn a “quick dip into a serious emergency”.
The Coastguard said after “extensive shoreline and offshore searches”, its search was stood down at 5pm on Christmas Day.
Devon & Cornwall Police previously said the families of the men were being kept informed of developments.
On Boxing Day, a police spokesperson said “both men remain missing” following the incident and “inquiries are ongoing”.
A number of Christmas and Boxing Day swims in Devon and Cornwall were cancelled this year because of a yellow weather warning for wind, which covered parts of the South West and Wales.
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