Kate Bush Mourns Friend Lost in Rough Seas

Kate Bush is publicly mourning a longtime friend who disappeared during a Christmas Day swim off the Devon coast of England. The 67-year-old singer said she was "heartbroken" over the presumed death of Matthew Upham, a local antiques dealer she called one of her "very dearest friends" of three decades. In a tribute on her official website, Bush described Upham as "extraordinarily kind, thoughtful," someone who "lived life to the full," and "was also a great deal of fun."

Upham, who was in his 60s, went missing after entering the water at Budleigh Salterton on Christmas, reports the BBC. Emergency services were called shortly after 10:25am local time when two men, in their 40s and 60s, could not be located. The Independent notes that several swimmers were pulled from the rough surf. A major search involving the coast guard and Royal National Lifeboat Institution was suspended around 5pm that day, and police said on Friday that inquiries were continuing. Bush noted that Upham was a strong swimmer who loved kayaking and respected the sea, calling it "so tragic that he lost his life this way."

In a statement posted on Upham's business Instagram account, his family described him as "deeply loved" and said he would be "forever missed." In her own statement, Bush wrote, "Thank you Matthew, for being one of the best friends anyone could have."