‘Full of light’: Family pay tribute to ‘brave and sensitive’ teen who drowned in lake
The family of a “caring” and “brave” teenager who died after swimming in a Cheshire lake have paid a touching tribute to him.
David Tita Jr, 17, was “deprived of a rich and full life” after he got into trouble in the water at Pickmere Lake near Northwich on Tuesday, his family said.
Cheshire Police had previously announced that the body of a young boy was removed from the water after extensive searches in the area.
In a tribute released by police on Friday, Mr Tita’s family said “no words” could describe the loss of their son.
“He was not just a son, but a friend, a brother and a very supportive force to us, his family and the wider Crewe community,” they said.
“David was compassionate, sensitive, courageous, and full of light. When he smiled, it was like the smile of mountains seeing spring. His smile and touching empathy were contagious, as was his impressive capacity to reach out, build relationships, and help and support those around him.”
They added that his death “robbed you of the chance to see yourself grow old and have children and family of your own.”
“This pain in our chests will never leave us and will remain in our hearts forever because we love David and that is something no one can take away from us,” they continued.
“Tonight, tomorrow, and for the rest of our lives, we will look for you in the stars, in the skies, and in the sunsets, and we will remember who you are until we meet again.”
At least 12 people, including Mr Tita, are believed to have died offshore in the UK following a record-breaking heatwave that lasted several days.
Declan Sawyer, 15, died after getting into trouble at Swanholme Lakes in Lincoln on Sunday.
Also on Sunday, a 72-year-old woman died after being pulled from the water at West Angle Bay beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, at around 3.15pm.
A 13-year-old boy, identified as Reco Puttock, died after getting into trouble at the Leadbeater Dam near Halifax in West Yorkshire on Monday, while the body of a young girl was pulled from the water at Kingsbury Water Park in Warwickshire.
On the same day, a man in his sixties died of a heart attack after diving into the sea at Tregirls Beach in Padstow to help two family members in distress, Devon and Cornwall Police said.
South Yorkshire Police said the body of a teenager was pulled from the water at Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Another body has been found during the search for a teenage boy who was last seen swimming in Hawley Lake on the Hampshire/Surrey border on Tuesday afternoon.
A 12-year-old boy who died after getting into trouble in the River Ribble in Ribchester, Lancashire, on Tuesday has been named Junior Slater, from Clayton-le-Woods.
The body of a 14-year-old boy was pulled from the River Thames near Oxford’s Donnington Bridge after emergency crews were alerted at around 5.30pm on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Police Scotland said 16-year-old Charlie Noble died after experiencing water problems near Callander.
Charities including the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) have warned of the “very real” risk of open water swimming in a heatwave.
Swimming can lead to cold water shock as the water does not have a chance to warm up due to high temperatures.
