 Gareth was quiet and hard-working, friends said |
Tributes have been paid to a teenager who died after getting into difficulty in the River Wye in Powys, near the Royal Welsh Show in Llanelwedd. The body of Gareth Alun Jones, 19, from Llansannan in Conwy, was recovered from the river by police divers on Tuesday.
He had earlier simply been paddling and watching as friends swam to keep cool.
It has emerged that his family were close friends with the family of a 16-year-old boy killed in a road accident near the show in 2004.
Paramedics were unable to revive Mr Jones while he was flown to Swansea's Morriston Hospital.
Mr Jones had been paddling at the side of a pool but was later seen struggling in around 20ft (6m) of water and then disappeared from sight.
The area is a few minutes walk from the showground, where his parents were enjoying a day out, unaware of the tragedy that was unfolding.
Emergency services, including two fire crews from the showground, paramedics and a rescue boat from Hay-on-Wye were called to the river, where the Mr Jones was found at about around 1545 BST, about an hour after he was last seen.
People in the village of Llansannan, where Mr Jones lived, have spoken of their shock at his death.
 The accident happened at a popular spot along the river |
Meirion Morris, minister at the family's local chapel, said : "The family would like to express their thanks for the kindness that they have already known but most of all they want to give thanks for Gareth, for the privilege of having him as their son, as their friend, although his life was tragically cut short.
"Our words cannot express how special this family is to all of us, and in this sense, Gareth was one of a kind. His affectionate nature shone into the lives of everyone he met.
"During the past weeks he, along with his brother Arwel, had been busy going around shearing, making sure that all was completed before the show, an event he had attended every year with his family since the age of two."
Inquiry
Mr Jones' family were friends of the family of a 16-year-old boy killed in a road accident near the show two years ago.
Elgan Williams, from Denbighshire, died in July 2004 after he was hit by a vehicle as he was walking near the showground.
Officials at the Royal Welsh Show have extended their sympathy to Mr Jones' family and said they will also be launching an inquiry.
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His affectionate nature shone into the lives of everyone he met
