EMOTIONAL tributes have been paid to a boy, 15, who died after getting into difficulty while swimming.
Izaiah Smith vanished in Beckenham Place Park in Lewisham, , just after 3pm yesterday.
Cops rushed to the park after he got into difficulty in the water and launched a desperate search.
The London Fire Brigade, Met , an NHS incident response vehicle, and a police helicopter swarmed the area.
Specialist teams at around 10.40pm later that day.
The teen was taken to hospital where he was tragically pronounced dead.
Devastated friends of the talented footballer have now paid a heartbreaking tribute to him.
Leaving flowers at the scene today, one pal said: “He was always smiling, always.
“He was so outgoing and sociable too.
“Thats why this is so unexpected he’s just not the kind of person you would expect this to happen to.
“This was his first time at the lake, we came down after school.”;
Another friend added: “He was really good at , he was a winger and striker – he was so fast.”;
Izaiah was the middle child of three boys, they added.
Cops are treating his death as “unexpected” but “not believed to be suspicious”.
A dog walker, whose home backs on to the park where the incident occurred, claimed: “He’ll be a local boy but I don’t know him, it’s so sad, it was the first day of the school .
“They ought to close this lake down, this is the second time something like this has happened.
“Before a two year old got stuck in the mud and almost drowned, he didn’t die though.
“It’s really deep and it’s so dangerous, the water is so cold.
“When I saw all the helicopters I thought someone had been stabbed but then the came out about this.
“It’s just such a shame, it makes me worried for my grandchildren, it wasn’t this dangerous when we were young.”;
Another local said: “It’s only open at certain times and it is generally very safe, but it isn’t always open.”;
Police have now left the scene and security guards have closed the gates to the lake and are preventing members of the public from going into the area.
A spokesperson said: “Met Police has suspended a search for a 15-year-old boy at Beckenham Place Park, following the discovery of a body.
“Officers were called to the park shortly after 15:00hrs on Friday, 4 April following reports of a boy going missing after getting into difficulty in the water.
“Specialist diving teams were in attendance alongside the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade.
“A boy was recovered from the lake at around 22:42hrs on Friday, 4 April.
“He was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead. His death is being treated as unexpected but not believed to be suspicious.
“His family are aware and continue to receive support.”;
