Tributes have been paid to a talented church drummer and footballer who tragically drowned in a north London lake amid the capital’s second heatwave.
Lewis Sekyireh, 14, was playing with friends at a lake in Cheshunt, Lea Valley about 5.20pm on Monday.
The “well-mannered” footballer, rapper and church drummer vanished under the water, sparking a frantic search involving helicopters and police divers.
Witnesses said the boy went into the lake but failed to come back to the surface. The teenager’s lifeless body was found six hours later.
Tezel Dogullari, Lewis’ football coach at Limitless Football Academy, told the Standard: “I saw his parents yesterday, they’re devastated as they lost their only son. It all happened so suddenly.
“I have known him for over two years, he was a pleasure to coach, he was respectful, always full of energy and made us all laugh.”
He added: “Lewis was such a well-mannered young man with his unforgettable energy and charisma.
“Lewis had a lot of potential in football but his real love was music, he was a young talented rapper and an incredible drummer where he played at church.
“He had respect for his elders at the same time he was an amazing teenager that could light up any room with his smile. He was a real joy to be around.
“Lewis will live in our hearts for all the joy he brought into our lives, as for the pain we’re all experiencing right now is unexplainable.”
A GoFundMe for his funeral costs has raised more than £1,200.
The tributes came after the body of another man has been found in a west London lake on Tuesday.
Emergency services spent seven hours searching at Bedfont Lakes Country Park, in Feltham, after the man in his 20s entered the water about 5pm and didn’t return.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said a search – supported by the National Police Air Service and Marine Policing Unit – was carried out.
To donate to Lewis’ funeral fund click here.
