Tributes paid to Rony John who died after drowning in River Great Ouse in Huntingdon

Tributes have been paid to the teenager who drowned in Huntingdon yesterday.

A major search for a boy, named locally as Rony John, was launched at 3.40pm after he was spotted having difficulty in the River Great Ouse when he was with friends.

After an extensive search, a body was recovered shortly after 2am this morning.

Police officers, firefighters and paramedics joined water search specialists from Spartan Rescue for the river search at Church Lane, Hartford.

Magpas Helimedix and a hazardous area rescue team had also joined by 6pm.

A police spokesman said: “The death is not being treated as suspicious and will be passed to the coroner.”

Val Ford, headteacher at St Peter’s, said: “We’re just in shock. It is a total tragedy, especially for something to happen on the first day of summer holidays.

“Our sympathies go to his family and the students who were with him at the time.”

Abbygail Alves posted on a Facebook tribute page: “It’s heart breaking to know I lost someone who meant beyond the world to me. Your smile made my day, it brightened up so many people’s lives and you know what meeting you 4 years ago was the best thing I ever did.

“I don’t possibly know how any of us are going to cope without you I miss you so much already and so does everyone else.”

Tommy Grimwood added: “You were a very good friend Rony John and that will never change.”

The formal identification of the body has not yet happened.

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