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one of the two men swept away into the sea swimming during christmas day devon This name has been kept by his family.
The local antique shop was owned by Matthew Upham. Reported missing on Thursday The morning after a “really tragic incident” in Budleigh Salterton.
emergency services They were called to the scene after reports of several people struggling amid large waves on the beach. Several people were evacuated to safety, but a man in his 40s and a man in his 60s have been missing since Boxing Day and have not been located.
After extensive searching, The operation was completed on Thursday The families of the missing people were contacted in the afternoon.
Mr Upham’s family wrote in a statement on his company’s Instagram page on Friday: “Our family is saddened by the passing of our beloved family member, Matthew Upham, who was reported missing on Christmas morning.
“Matthew is much loved and will be deeply missed.”
It added: “We would like to express our heartfelt and sincere thanks to the emergency services, particularly the emergency services that responded RNLI And the Coast Guard for their dedication, professionalism and tireless efforts during this extremely difficult time.
“We are extremely grateful for their compassion and support. As we grieve and support each other, we humbly request that our family’s privacy be respected. We thank everyone for their understanding, kindness and condolences.”
The incident occurred amid a Met Office yellow warning for wind, which was issued for parts of south-west England and Wales on Thursday. Police urged the public to avoid swimming in the water on Boxing Day.
Footage from the day showed many people struggling to get out of the water as huge waves crashed against the shore.
Detective Superintendent Hayley Costar, of Devon and Cornwall PoliceSaid: “Today, emergency services are responding to a tragic incident in Budleigh Salterton.
“Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the two people who are currently missing and with all those who witnessed and were affected by this incident. The local community will have seen a significant volume of emergency services in the area throughout the day as extensive inquiries continue.
“As darkness falls, many of these searches have been halted, with some police inquiries on the ground continuing into this evening.”
Coast Guard rescue teams from surrounding areas were assisted by police and ambulance personnel as well as search and rescue helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.