The 17-year-old who died after falling into Rudyard Lake has been pictured as his family pay tribute to their ‘lovely, kind and good-natured boy’.
Sonny Leese Clark plunged into the lake in Staffordshire, along with two other pals on the evening of Friday, February 23.
Staffordshire Police said Sonny had been spending time with his friends at the beauty spot when they all ‘got into difficulty and fell in the water.’
Emergency services were called to the scene at around 9.30pm.
The two other boys managed to get to safety and were assessed at the scene by paramedics. They were taken to hospital but have since been discharged.
Sonny Leese Clark (pictured) plunged into the lake in Staffordshire, along with two other pals on the evening of Friday, February 23
Staffordshire Police said Sonny had been spending time with his friends at the beauty spot (pictured) when they all ‘got into difficulty and fell in the water’
Emergency services were called to the scene at around 9.30pm
Specialist search teams scouring the lake recovered Sonny, of Leek, Staffordshire, from the water at around 5pm on Sunday.
In a touching tribute, Sonny’s family said: ‘Sonny – our lovely, kind, good-natured boy.
‘You had grown into a fantastic young man. Always helpful, adventurous, fearless and quick to smile.
‘You were a very special and wonderful brother to your siblings, and our lives are diminished for your loss.
‘We love you and always will. 17 and his life was just beginning the next chapter, his book was too short.’
A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: ‘We have been offering our support to his family as much as we possibly can after the tragic news yesterday.
Emergency services searched Rudyard Lake for Sonny
Specialist search teams scouring the lake recovered Sonny, of Leek, Staffordshire, from the water at around 5pm on Sunday
The search efforts involved an array of emergency services, as well as volunteers from the Cheshire and Staffordshire Search and Rescue charities
‘We know this incident has caused a great deal of sorrow in the local community and has affected so many people who knew him personally.
‘Our thoughts and condolences remain with his family at this unprecedented and tragic time.
‘We’d like to thank those who’ve left kind messages and sent their condolences to Sonny’s family, and we ask that their privacy is respected at this time.’
The search efforts involved an array of emergency services, as well as volunteers from the Cheshire and Staffordshire Search and Rescue charities.
Chief Inspector Mark Barlow, from the Moorlands local policing team, said previously: ‘Our thoughts and condolences are very much with the boy’s family at this distressing time.
‘A large number of officers and emergency service personnel have been working around the clock and through the night since this was first reported to us.
‘I’d like to thank the members of the public who respected the cordon and avoided the area whilst we worked at the scene.’