Kate Bush has paid tribute to her ‘dearest friend’ who is feared dead following a Christmas Day sea swim.
Matthew Upham, 63, an antique shop owner from Devon, went missing from Budleigh Salterton beach on Christmas Day after a swim in which many in attendance got into difficulty in the water.
It’s feared Upham may have drowned after extensive searches by the coastguard and RNLI found no sign of him and another man, believed to be in his 40s.
The Running Up That Hill singer, 67, has said she had known Upham for 30 years in an emotional message following his disappearance.
‘Matthew was one of my dearest friends,’ she said. ‘He was extraordinarily kind, thoughtful and lived life to the full.
‘He was also a great deal of fun. His family is heartbroken, and with many of his friends, so am I.’
She went on to say that Upham was a ‘very strong swimmer’ and that he ‘understood that the sea should be respected.’
‘It’s so tragic he lost his life this way,’ Bush continued.
Dearch and rescue operations have now concluded, and the men remain missing, Devon and Cornwall Police have said.
Detective Superintendent Hayley Costar from the force said: ‘Today, emergency services have been responding to a truly tragic incident in Budleigh Salterton.
‘Our thoughts remain firmly with the families and friends of the two men who are currently missing and to all who may have witnessed and be impacted by the incident.
‘The local community will have seen a significant amount of emergency services in the area throughout the day as extensive enquiries have been ongoing.
‘As dark falls, a number of these searches have been stood down, with some police enquiries on land continuing this evening.
‘There have been weather warnings in place this week, and a number of official and unofficial swims have already been cancelled.
‘While there are no official warnings in place for tomorrow, we urge anyone with plans to go swimming in the sea on Boxing Day not to.’
A friend of Upham told the Mail on Sunday that the swimmer had gone into the ocean to help a woman in distress.
‘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,’ they said.
‘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.’
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