A survivor of the Christmas Day swim that is believed to have led to the deaths of two people has described going into the sea as a ‘mistake’ after he was rescued from the ‘worst ever’ water conditions.
Mike Brown, one of the swimmers who was pulled from the water by brave rescuers, told how the conditions were among the worst he had ever encountered and said he regretted entering the water.
Two people are believed to have been killed after disaster struck during the annual event off the coast of Budleigh Salterton in Devon on Thursday.
Antiques dealer Matthew Upham, 63, is feared to have lost his life after taking a festive dip alongside a man in his 40s. Both currently remain missing.
Speaking to the BBC this morning, survivor Mr Brown said: ‘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.’
Mr Brown described how two local men saw him struggling amid the six-foot waves and put themselves at risk to pull him out.
He said that the men entered the sea before one was knocked over by the force of a wave. They tried a second time and managed to reach Mr Brown as he was struggling to stand.
Mr Brown added: ‘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.’
Mike Brown described how he had to be pulled from the sea by passersby amid the ‘worst ever’ conditions he had encountered as a swimmer
Two men went missing after tragedy struck off the coast at Budleigh Salterton, Devon, on Christmas Day morning
Matthew Upham, 63, went missing alongside a younger man in his 40s, who has not been named
While the swimmer hopes to now find and thank the two men who saved him, the small town is still dealing with the effects of the tragedy after the coastguard called off efforts to find the two missing swimmers.
It is thought that the man in his 40s, who has not yet been named, may have entered the sea to try and come to Mr Upham’s aid, after he was seen being dragged along the beach by the waves.
Video footage shows how conditions at Budleigh Salterton were rough on Christmas Day morning, with the local coastguard describing them as ‘atrocious’.
Waves were described as being consistently five to six feet tall, with some larger swells said to be up to ten feet.
Mr Upham’s family took to social media last night to pay tribute to him, and to thank the emergency services for their efforts.
In a statement posted to his antique shop Instagram account, they wrote: ‘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.
A second man, in his 40s, is feared to have drowned trying to save Mr Upham as he was swept out to sea on Christmas Day
A tribute was posted to Matthew Upham’s Instagram page by his family last night
‘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.’
Friends of Mr Upham and countless customers from his former shop in London also took to social media to pay touching tributes to him.
Mr Upham now runs the Matthew Uphamm Antiques business in Budleigh Salterton. A single yellow rose has been left on the doorstep of the store.
He was by friends described as a ‘very fit’ man who swims almost everyday and knows the local waters. They added he is ‘one of a kind’ and ‘such a nice, cheerful man’.
Meanwhile it emerged yesterday that sea swimmers may have mistakenly believed the RNLI were ‘on hand’ before the two men went missing.
An RNLI service boat was spotted offshore at Budleigh Salterton beach and could be seen in video footage taken by attendees.
Some participants are said to have believed it was there to support the Christmas Day swim, and felt reassured to enter the water.
Exmouth and Beer Coastguard rescue teams, RNLI lifeboats and a search and rescue helicopter were deployed to search for the men, who remain missing
Moments after this photograph was taken on Christmas Day swimmers ran into difficulty and two men disappeared into the waves at Budleigh Salterton in Devon
Emergency services arrived at Budleigh Salterton beach in Devon on Christmas Day, but the coastguard search was called off after 5pm
But it is understood that the RNLI lifeboat was out on an exercise, and was not there to protect swimmers participating in the Christmas Day swim, which had no central organiser.
The lifeboat and crew responded immediately when people got into trouble, with the alarm raised at around 10:25am.
Other crews rushed to the scene alongside emergency services and the coastguard. Exmouth and Beer Coastguard rescue teams, RNLI lifeboats and a search and rescue helicopter were deployed.
In a statement, Exmouth Coastguard Rescue Team described the sea conditions as ‘atrocious’ and praised the swift response of teams in preventing a wider tragedy.
It read: ‘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.’
The statement added: ‘We are aware of lots of commentary elsewhere on the rights or wrongs of Christmas Day swims and we don’t intend to comment on this.’
As emergency services responded, witnesses described how swimmers were knocked over by massive waves, while others were unable to get out of the foam.
Some swimmers were reportedly taken to the hospital after being helped back to shore due to rough conditions.
Festive swimmers were asked not to attend other local beaches to take part in traditional Christmas Day events due to concerns over the weather conditions. Locals and visitors to Devon and Cornwall were also advised by police not to enter the water on Boxing Day following the incident.
In the aftermath, devastated residents have questioned why Budleigh Salterton’s traditional swim was ‘allowed’ to go ahead despite the stormy conditions. But as with similar festive events around the country, there is not believed to be one person or organisation in charge who could have called it off.
Businesses in the town have organised collections for the RNLI amid the Christmas Day tragedy, and floral tributes were left at the beach for the two men who went missing.
One tribute read: ‘To the two special souls who were tragically lost at sea yesterday. One of you we knew so well and loved. Prayers and love’.
Residents living in communities near to the tragedy have expressed their concern for the families of the missing men – but have also questioned why public officials could not shut the event down if conditions were deemed too dangerous to swim.
Others highlighted the risks placed on emergency services sent out to help in the search. One RNLI crew abandoned their vessel due to the ‘extremely difficult’ conditions on Christmas Day, with the boat only recovered yesterday.
