Hayden Jones-Powell, 13, died after entering Meynell Lake in Syston in Leicestershire, during the recent heatwave – his family have paid tribute to him, describing him as a ‘cheeky, gorgeous boy’
Tributes have been paid to a “cheeky and beautiful” teenager 13-year-old boy who tragically died after going in a lake to cool off with friends. Hayden Jones-Powell, 13, has been described by his loved ones as a boy who adored animals and had his whole life ahead of him.
Hayden, a passionate West Bromwich Albion fan with many friends had ventured Meynell Lake, on Fosse Way, Syston to cool down in the water with pals after school when he got into difficulties on June 25.
Police were alerted just after 1.30pm, with Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service and East Midlands Ambulance Service also rushing to the scene. Expert diving teams began searching the lake, where they discovered Hayden, reports Leicestershire Live.
Speaking to LeicestershireLive on the family’s behalf, his aunt, Charlotte Powell, shared her memories of him. “He was just a really lovely little cheeky boy,” she said, explaining that he had masses of friends and “did really, really well at school.”
She revealed Hayden is survived by two elder brothers and a sister. Recalling the day Hayden died, Charlotte, who has launched a fundraising page for his funeral, 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.”
The family revealed they had been left shattered by the tragic news. “It’s horrific, absolutely horrific,” Charlotte added.
“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 extended her gratitude to the community for their support following Hayden’s tragic passing.
“The family are so, so grateful for all the support, really, really grateful,” she said.
“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.”
The police said the family are receiving support from specialist officers.
Officers stated there is no indication of any suspicious circumstances, and that a file will be prepared for the coroner.
Hayden’s friends are arranging two balloon releases in his memory. The first is scheduled to take place at Central Park in Syston around 12.30pm on Saturday, with a second planned for the following Saturday in Mountsorrel.
A GoFundMe page has been established to assist the family in giving Hayden “a beautiful send off,” with a fundraising goal of £6,000. You can donate here.