Reuben loved sport and outdoor activities

Reuben Morgan, from Cefn Coed, was with a group of teenagers swimming at Pontsticill reservoir when he got into difficulty on Saturday.

His head teacher said Reuben was a "very fine young person" who loved outdoor life.

A huge search involved police divers and the fire and ambulance services.

Police confirmed Reuben's identity after his body was recovered on Monday.

This is a tragic loss to his family, friends and the school Allan Pritchard, head teacher

Reuben was one of 11 youngsters - mostly young players from Merthyr rugby club - who went camping on Friday night alongside the reservoir near the Brecon Beacons.

On Saturday, four of them set out to swim the entire width but somewhere near the middle Reuben apparently got into trouble.

Floral tributes

The alarm was raised at around 1400 BST when Reuben went under the water and failed to reappear.

Police are not treating the teenager's death as suspicious.

Floral tributes have been left by friends at the edge of the reservoir.

Reuben's parents, Maxine and David, run a gymnasium in Merthyr.

Allan Pritchard, head teacher of Cyfarthfa High School, which Reuben attended, said the school was "in shock".

He said: "Reuben Morgan was a very fine young person. He was very personable and very pleasant. He loved outdoor life and was very much into physical fitness.

"This is a tragic loss to his family, friends and the school. Our thoughts are with his family."

Tributes have been left at the reservoir

He said that bereavement counsellors had visited the school on Monday and spoken with friends of the teenager.

Alan Baynham, a local councillor and family friend said: "I am extremely upset about what has happened to Reuben. I went to the reservoir last night while the search was going on.

"I understand that he walked there with a number of friends from the village of Cefn Coed.

"They went to the reservoir. He was a sporty type and I would have thought if anybody could have swum across there it would have been him.

'Extreme caution'

"But despite the weather the water is very, very cold and there is a certain amount of weed in the water."

He said that Reuben has a younger brother and sister and the family was very close.

The teenager was an under-15 player at Merthyr Rugby Club. Phil Powell from the club said: "I know it's breaking everybody's heart. Everybody's devastated down the club and in the local community where he is from."

Insp Ernest Bullock of Dyfed-Powys Police warned against people swimming in open water.

"Any open water presents its own difficulties and the water's particularly cold - even on a hot summer's day," he said.