Teen, 17, found dead in River Thames is named as Jake Smith, as friends and family pay tribute
A 17-year-old boy, who tragically died while playing in the River Thames, has been officially named following a statement released by his family. A body was discovered on Monday afternoon by Gloucestershire Police - with the teen named as Jake Smith.
His family have released a tribute urging others to be aware of river safety rules. It said: "We unfortunately lost Jake in a tragic accident. The support and messages we have received have been overwhelming, and shows the love that people had.
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"Jake will be missed by all his family and friends. We would like to thank the emergency services, the community and especially The Riverside for their kindness and support.
"Although this was a tragic accident, we urge people to stop and think before they jump into the river."
Smith, from Swindon, Wiltshire, was accompanied by four boys aged around 17 during the incident on Sunday night near Lechlade-on-Thames. Police understand a few of the friends entered the water to help Smith when he got into difficulty.
A statement from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We were called at 10.03pm by the coastguard to reports that some teenagers, believed to be aged about 17, had been playing in the river at Lechlade and one hadn’t resurfaced.
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“We assisted the search by sending three crews from Fairford, Gloucester South and Tewkesbury along with boat crews.
"We liaised with coastguards and the police who were coordinating the search and came away from the scene at about 4am."
On Monday morning, local police divers recovered a body before the news was confirmed around 4:30pm later that day. A spokesperson for Gloucestershire Police said at this time his death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.
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