The family of a teenage boy who died after getting into difficulties in the waters of a quarry near Wigan have paid a touching tribute to their 'one-in-a million' son. The 16-year-old was named by police today as Jamie Lewin, a promising boxer.
His body was recovered by police from East Quarry at Dawber Delph in Appley Bridge on Saturday night. Emergencies services were called to the scene following reports Jamie, from Southport, Lancashire, had entered the waters and got into difficulty.
In a statement released through Lancashire Police his mother, Steph Lewin, said: "Jamie was a promising boxer who loved life and had so much to look forward to. He was so loved by everyone.
"He touched so many people's lives in such a short time, he really did spread himself far. He really was one in a million. I'm so happy I was his mum. He was only 16 and so full of life and so happy."
The Manchester Evening News reported last night that teens were still dicing with death by trying to access the quarry's dangerous waters in the hot weather following Jamie's tragic death.
The tragedy brings the death toll at East Quarry to three, with two previous deaths of teens in its waters in 2015 and 1999.
In 2015, 13-year-old Miracle Godson, a promising young rugby player, died after getting into difficulties in the quarry's deep waters. In 1999 Craig Croston, 17, drowned at the Appley Bridge quarry, Lancs Live reported.
On Monday, residents claimed around 50 youths were continuing to endanger themselves by trying to access the dangerous quarry's waters. Many added they had been campaigning for the disused quarry to be filled in or drained for years.
Sarah Stephenson, a mum of five who lives opposite the tragic scene, said teens had been spotted flocking to the quarry within less than a day of the tragic incident. She told Lancs Live that the news of the latest tragedy had not been widely known until late on Sunday evening.
She said: "I don’t think the news had got round on Sunday, as they were still trying to access the quarry and swimming in there. There were probably about 50 youths down there or more on Sunday. Today I saw 12 just walking down the path, a group of six, a group of four and another group that I witnessed while I was down there."
An MP, meanwhile, has called for the quarry to be drained.
In a statement today, police said: "We were called by the Ambulance Service around 9.40pm on Saturday (July 9) to a report a boy had entered the water and got into difficulty at Dawber Delph, Appley Bridge.
"Emergency services attended the scene and following a search the body of a 16-year-old boy was recovered from the water. He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. He was later identified as 16-year-old Jamie Lewin from Southport."
Jamie's death, said the force, is not being treated as suspicious. A file of evidence will be passed to a coroner in due course ahead of an inquest opening, Lancashire Police added. "Our thoughts remain with Jamie's family at this time," said a spokesman.
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