Overview
- Devon and Cornwall Police say two men in their 40s and 60s remain unaccounted for after multiple swimmers got into difficulty at Budleigh Salterton.
- Family identified the older missing man as 63-year-old antiques dealer Matthew Upham and issued a statement saying he is deeply loved and will be forever missed.
- Survivor Mike Brown, 60, described being battered by large waves before two bystanders waded in fully clothed and dragged him to safety.
- HM Coastguard reported extensive shoreline and offshore searches involving RNLI lifeboats and helicopters before standing down the offshore element at 5pm on Christmas Day.
- Witnesses reported roughly 6ft waves and gusts up to 65mph under a Met Office yellow wind warning, and authorities noted the swim was an unofficial event with an RNLI lifeboat understood to have been on exercise rather than assigned to safety cover.