Teen found dead in lake 'brought light' to school
BBCA boy who was found dead after he was reported missing in a lake in Birmingham "brought light and character" to his entire school, his teachers said.
Rescuers were called to the waters at Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield, just after 18:00 BST on Thursday, but Daniel Drewitt had died before his body was recovered from the water, ambulance crews said.
Staff at Colmers School and Sixth Form College in Rednal paid tribute to the 16-year-old and said he was confident, full of life and a talented sportsman.
The death is not being treated as suspicious and West Midlands Police said they were liaising with the coroner.
Their tribute said the whole school was left deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of the Year 11 student.
"Daniel was a young man who brought light and character to our entire school community; he was confident, full of life, a talented sportsman and so deeply loved by staff and fellow pupils alike," they added.
"His warm presence and positive spirit will be sorely missed."
A spokesperson for the school said they were doing all they could to support people during a difficult time.
"We know how deeply this loss will be felt by many and we are committed to ensuring no member of our school community feels alone in their grief," they added.
"Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with Daniel's family."
The school's pastoral team, counsellors and senior staff were working together to provide spaces and support for students, the spokesperson said.
Pupils are being offered time for reflection, one-to-one talks and access to emotional and wellbeing support.
Police said extensive efforts were made by all the emergency services to find Daniel.
Specialist teams and Birmingham City Council were involved in the search for him and his body was recovered from the water just after 22:00 BST.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said it had been involved in the search and the Midlands Air Ambulance was sent to the scene, but a spokesman for the trust said Daniel had died by the time he was rescued.
The lake is normally a busy area and it is a popular park, but the whole pool was cordoned off while the search was carried out on Thursday.
Boats were used, with emergency services seen getting in and out of the water at times.
The Our Sutton Park community group thanked fishermen, who it said had jumped in the water in an attempt to save him.
The group said it wanted to send its "deepest condolences to the parents of the young boy".
The cordon was gone on Friday morning and Raymond Stewart, who regularly fishes in the lake, said when he had arrived at 04:35 BST there were no signs of activity from the night before.
"It's a tragedy really, such a young life lost," he said.
There are signs around the lake warning people not to swim but Mr Stewart said: "When I'm fishing here you see people swimming here all the time.
"I was here last Wednesday and there must have been 15 get in the pool."
Sutton Park parkrun has cancelled Saturday's event, following Daniel's death.
Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton said it came as a "terrible tragedy" and the council was working closely with police and the other emergency services.
Sutton Park is a 2,400-acre (971-hectare) National Nature Reserve and one of the largest urban parks in Europe, according to the city council.
It includes woodland, heathland, marshes and seven lakes, including Powell's Pool, where the teenager's body was discovered.
In May, Midlands Air Ambulance revealed there have been 18 accidental drowning deaths in the West Midlands region in 2024.
The charity urged people to be careful and understand the dangers of the water.
In 2001 another teenage boy, Fraser Amiss, died after diving into Powell's Pool with two friends.
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