One of the men who went missing in sea off Devon coast named

One of the victims has been named after a search was launched for two people who went missing in stormy seas off a beach in Devon.

The family of Matthew Upham said in a statement on his Instagram page that they are "heartbroken by the loss of our beloved family member... who was lost on Christmas morning".

"Matthew is deeply loved and will be forever missed," the statement adds.

It was posted on the Matthew Upham Antiques Instagram account, an antiques shop in Budleigh Salterton.

Coastguard rescue teams and RNLI lifeboat teams were called to Budleigh Salterton at 10.25am on Christmas Day after the alarm was raised.

Videos filmed yesterday morning showed scores of swimmers running into the sea at Budleigh Salterton and battling huge waves crashing on to the shore.

A number of people were rescued from the water and checked by paramedics or taken to hospital by the emergency crews.

But two men, aged in their 40s and 60s, have not been found, police said. The search for them was ended on Thursday night.

A spokesman for the coastguard said: "After extensive shoreline and offshore searches, the HM Coastguard part of the search was stood down at 5pm."

"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," said Mr Upham's family.

"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."

Devon and Cornwall Police said the families of the men were being kept informed.

RNLI Torbay and RNLI Teignmouth, involved in the search, described the conditions at sea as "punishing".

They urged swimmers to take account of weather conditions and to know the limits of their abilities.

Police urged people not to go swimming in the sea on Boxing Day after weather warnings were put into place.

(c) Sky News 2025: One of the men who went missing in sea off Devon coast named