The family of Hayden Jones-Powell, the 13-year-old boy whose body was recovered from a lake in Leicestershire, have paid tribute to him, describing him as a 'cheeky' and 'gorgeous' boy who loved animals and had everything going for him.
Incident Details
Hayden went missing on June 25 after entering Meynell Lake in Fosse Way, Syston, to cool off with friends during the heatwave. Police were called at around 1:30pm, and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service along with East Midlands Ambulance Service attended the scene. Specialist dive teams conducted a search and located Hayden.
According to LeicestershireLive, the teenager, a keen West Bromwich Albion supporter with a wide circle of friends, got into difficulty while in the water after school.
Family Tributes
Speaking on behalf of the family, his aunt Charlotte Powell said: 'He was just a really lovely little cheeky boy.' She added that he had many friends and 'did really, really well at school.' Hayden leaves behind two older brothers and a sister.
Describing the day of the incident, Charlotte said: 'Hayden was like any other teenage boy who just went to the lake to paddle with his friends. He wanted to cool off from the heat and enjoy the cool water, getting some respite from the heatwave after school.'
Community Support
The family expressed their devastation. Charlotte said: 'It's horrific, absolutely horrific. When my husband rang me yesterday to say, are you sitting down? Hayden's gone missing. It's the thing that happens to other people, doesn't it? It doesn't happen to your family.'
Charlotte has set up a fundraising page for Hayden's funeral and thanked the community for their support. She said: 'The family are so, so grateful for all the support, really, really grateful. We know that in times like this, there's so little that people can do, but if anybody can just give a fiver to our fund, just to give us the best send-off for Hayden that we can possibly do.'
Police Statement
Police confirmed that the person recovered from the lake was the same teenager known to have entered the water. His family is being supported by specialist officers. There is no suggestion of any suspicious circumstances, and a file will be prepared for the coroner.
Friends of Hayden are organizing two balloon releases in his memory. The first is scheduled for Saturday at 12:30pm at Central Park in Syston, with a second planned for the following Saturday in Mountsorrel. A GoFundMe page has been set up with a target of £6,000 to help give Hayden 'a beautiful send off.'
