Family pay tribute to 'amazing young man' who died at Crosby Beach

The family of a man who died after getting into difficulty in the sea at Crosby Beach have paid tribute to the "amazing young man who was always smiling".

Hamza Mansoor, who was 21, died in hospital after being pulled from the sea by onlookers.Emergency services were called out to the popular beach at around 7:10pm on Tuesday (July 20) to reports of a group of men who were in trouble in the water.

Three of the five men were taken to hospital after the incident, with the other two not needing medical assistance.Mr Mansoor died later while one of his friends continues to fight for his life in hospital.

His family they paid tribute to Mr Mansoor, and thanked "all the heroes" at Crosby Beach who rescued the group.

In a statement they said: "Hamza's tragic death is a huge loss for our family, his friends and the community of Stoke-on-Trent.

"The void he has left in the hearts of his loved ones will never be filled."The family would like to thank all the heroes at Crosby Beach who tried their best to save Hamza and his friends. Due to their actions, many families have been spared the heartache we are going through."

A file has been sent to Sefton Coroners. Mr Mansoor's death is not being treated as suspicious.

Mr Mansoor, from Stoke, was a student at Staffordshire University. His funeral took place at a mosque in Stoke this week. His body has since been flown to Pakistan for the burial in Rawalpinbi.Members of Stoke's Pakistani community posted tributes to Mr Mansoor on social media.

Witnesses have described distressing as scenes on the beach when people tried to help Mr Mansoor and his friends.Today police have said a second man who was also recovered from the water on Wednesday is still in a critical but stable condition in hospital.Mersey Fire and Rescue have highlighted the risks of swimming in open water during hot water, when cold water, shock and riptides pose dangers.