Thursday, August 15, 2024 - The heartbroken family of a 15-year-old girl who drowned to d3ath has been thrown into mourning.
According to Mail Online, Holli Smallman was playing on the
banks of the River Seven when a group of teenagers went in during the recent
warm weather and vanished under the water.
She was in the 220-mile long River Severn at Welshpool,
mid-Wales, when she went missing last Friday and her body was found three hours
later.
Her family paid tribute to 'loving and caring' Holli who
they said lived a life 'full of song and dancing' and warned of the dangers of
entering the water.
Holli's family said: 'We are so heartbroken and would never
want any other family to go through the pain that we are going through.
'The dangers of water have been brought home in a way that
no one can imagine and we plead with children and parents to take the utmost
care when near open water.'
They said: 'We wish to express how heartbroken we are by the
tragic passing of our loving and caring girl Holli. The overwhelming grief and
heartache devastates us all.'
Her loved ones said she was a 'beloved sister, daughter, and
granddaughter' as well as a 'popular pupil at Welshpool High School' and the
local army cadets.
They added: 'Holli was fun-loving and lived a life full of
song and dancing, had an infectious joy for life and her positive and lovable
cheeky nature made an impact on everyone she ever met.
'She had her whole life ahead of her and there will be a
hole in our lives that will never heal, and we will never forget the amazing
person that Holli was.
'She loved her family, and she loved her friends and showed
that every day.
'We are all so overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and
kindness shown to us as a family and we thank you all for the messages and
gestures made to us from everyone in the community. We have seen your messages
which have meant so much to us.
'We also have in our hearts and minds the friends who were
with Holli that tragic day. The support and compassion shown to us from the
community, we extend to them in this unimaginable time, and they are all in our
thoughts.'
'We also want to express our heartfelt thank you to all of
the emergency services and rescue teams who did all they could to help Holli on
that evening and the NHS staff at Telford who have been so supportive.'
Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed the teenager recovered was
Holli Smallman from Welshpool after a multi-agency search.
A spokesperson said: 'Specialist officers are supporting the
family and our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time.'
Town councillor Alison Davies, who is also a governor at
Welshpool High School, said: 'On behalf of all the governors, we're very, very
saddened by this news.
'It's tragic. I say that as mother and grandmother. The loss
of a child is always tragic, but this was a very sad accident when a group of
teens were playing in a river.
'People have known her and her family for a long time.
Things will never be the same to those whom she was close.
'In small communities like this it really does hit a bit
harder because everybody is probably closer.'
0 Comments