‘Heartbroken’ singer-song writer Kate Bush has paid tribute to ‘extraordinarily kind’ Matthew Upham, one of the men feared dead after the ‘truly tragic’ Budleigh Salterton Christmas day swim.
Seasoned sea swimmer Mr Upham, aged 64, with an antique business in Budleigh High Street, has been missing, lost at sea, since December 25 after he took part in the town’s tragedy-hit Christmas swim.
Matthew Upham, pictured here in 2023, went missing after taking part in the Budleigh Christmas Day swim.
Image: Instagram.
Floral tributes and handwritten messages were left along Budleigh seafront after two Christmas Day swimmers went missing.
Photo: EDN.
Floral tributes left at Steamer Steps, Budleigh.
Photo: EDN.
Also believed to have died after taking part in the festive swim, is an unnamed man in his 40s – who is not thought to be local to Budleigh.
‘Accomplished sea swimmer’ Mr Upham, who reportedly spent hours in the water, is believed to have almost reached the beach but was hit and dragged under by wave as he turned back to help a woman struggling to reach the shore.
Budleigh Salterton beach.
Photo: EDN.
Friends described Matthew’s final act as ‘incredibly selfless’, adding he swam most days off Budleigh and was ‘exceptionally fit’.
They said it was ‘important’ to highlight the reason Matthew was missing was because he turned back to save someone, adding he was a ‘strong swimmer’ – not a risk taker – who knew that part of the coast ‘like the back of his hand’.
Matthew Upham, pictured here in happier times in 2023.
Image: Instagram
The Coastguard searched the shoreline along Budleigh beach after two Christmas Day swimmers went missing.
Photo: Irving of Exeter.
Coastguard teams searched until nightfall.
Photo: Irving of Exeter.
A friend said: “Matthew swam back out to reach her but as he did so a huge wave crashed into him and dragged him under. He hasn’t been seen since.
“He was an exceptionally fit man and someone who swam those waters practically every day but more than that he was an incredibly selfless person.
‘When he saw that woman in distress, there was only going to be one outcome and that was him swimming straight out to reach her rather than save himself. From what I’ve been told, he’d actually made it out of danger initially and was about to reach the beach but turned back when he saw the woman struggling.”
They added: “His friends who were with him watched him go out to her but when the wave came it was so strong, it just dragged him along, he really didn’t have a chance.”
Exmouth RNLI all-weather lifeboat crew joined the search for the two missing men.
Photo: Irving of Exeter.
The Exmouth lifeboat searched the waters until nightfall around Budleigh for the two missing Christmas Day swimmers.
Photo: Irving of Exeter.
It has also been reported the unnamed younger man had been pulled out to sea attempting to help Matthew Upham when he was ‘dragged down the beach’.
Budleigh’s annual festive dip ended abruptly when swimmers, caught out by powerful waves amid strong easterly winds, struggled to get out of the sea.
Members of the public left floral tributes after Matthew Upham, and another swimmer, were declared missing at sea after the Budeigh Christmas Day swim.
Photo: Irving of Exeter.
Tributes accompanied the flowers left overlooking Budleigh beach, where two Christmas Day swimmers went missing.
Photo: EDN.
Mr Upham and another unnamed victim could not be found despite a large-scale sea and shoreline search by the emergency services, which was called off by nightfall.
In the hours after the two swimmers were lost at sea, floral tributes were laid on Budleigh seafront, on the doorstep of Mr Upham’s High Street shop, and overlooking the beach at Steamer Steps.
Flowers and condolence notes were tied to railings along Budleigh seafront.
Photo: EDN.
And the ‘heartbroken’ family of ‘beloved’ Matthew Upham released a tribute, saying he ‘is deeply loved and will be forever missed’.
Shortly after, singer-songwriter Kate Bush, with a home in Devon, revealed Matthew Upham to be one of her ‘very dearest friends.
Paying tribute to her ‘incredibly special’ friend of 30 years, Kate wrote: “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.”
She said: “Matthew was a very strong swimmer. He had a great love for kayaking. He understood that the sea should be respected. It’s so tragic that he lost his life this way.”
Kate added: “The world has lost someone incredibly special. Thank you Matthew, for being one of the best friends anyone could have.”
Matthew Upham’s antiques shop, Upham House, in Budleigh High Street.
Photo: EDN.
TV presenter and journalist Scott Wimsett, a former boyfriend of Mr Upham, said he was ‘utterly devastated to lose our dear darling Matty to the sea’.
He offered ‘sincere condolences’ to the Upham family, and the British antique industry ‘who have lost one of their biggest talents’.
Paying tribute, Mr Wimsett wrote on social media: “Matthew was a very special person indeed to us Wimsett boys, a one-time boyfriend to me and became very close to my son and husband in the years to follow.
“Dear friends for over 30 years, Matthew was kind, an inner joy, generous and totally unique. Never will be replaced or forgotten.”
Posies and single roses with heartfelt messages of sorrow were left on he doorstep of the antiques shop belonging to Matthew Upham.
Photo: EDN.
Tribute blooms left on the doorstep of Matthew Upham’s antiques business in Budleigh High Street.
Photo: EDN.
Festive swimmers were plucked from the water, with several needing medical care on the beach, or hospital treatment, after strong easterly winds and powerful waves dragged them out to sea.
Some regular sea swimmers described the waters at Budleigh that day as the ‘worst conditions’ and the ‘most terrifying and dangerous’ they had seen.
Fran said: “Budleigh isn’t like any other beach I’ve ever been to, what with its shelving and the way the waves go from absolutely huge to crashing right on the shoreline, coupled with the force of the drag of the water over the pebbles, which rips away from underneath you, knocking you off your feet.”
Woody, right, was knocked off his feet by a wave and dragged him up the beach where his mum, left, and a passing man grabbed his hand.
Photo: Fran McElhone.
The crowd on Budleigh beach waiting for the Christmas swim to start.
Photo: Fran McElhone.
The large-scale Coastguard and RNLI searches of the sea and surrounding shoreline ended on Christmas night.
The family of Matthew Upham thanked the emergency services for their prompt action in trying to find him.
Major Harley Upham, Matthew’s nephew, 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.”
He added: “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.”
Singer Kate Bush paid tribute to her ‘extraordinarily kind’ friend, Matthew Upham.
Image: Instagram.
Police described what happened at Budleigh as ‘truly tragic’, adding both men remain missing and enquiries were ‘ongoing’.
A spokeswoman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Anyone with any relevant information which may assist police, who has not already spoken to us, is asked to call 101 or report via our website.”
HM Coastguard confirmed it responded to reports of people in difficulty in water in the Budleigh Salterton area December 25.
A spokesman said: “Alerted at around 10am, Exmouth and Beer Coastguard Rescue Teams, RNLI lifeboats from Exmouth, Teignmouth and Torbay and coastguard search and rescue helicopters and fixed wing aircraft were sent to the scene to assist, alongside police and ambulance service.
“Searches continued throughout the day to find two men believed to still be in the water.
“After extensive shoreline and offshore searches, the HM Coastguard part of the search was stood down at 5pm.”
If you have information for the police, quote log 191 of 25/12/25.
