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.