Devastated friends have told how they frantically tried to save a teenage pal from drowning.
Leon Wilson, 19, died while swimming in a lake in London on the hottest day of the year so far .
Best friend Reece Wiley described the moment he realised Leon was in trouble at Lammas Lake in Feltham.
Reece, also 19, told Get West London : “We were in the lake swimming.
"Leon got to the middle of the lake and all of a sudden I just heard him screaming and screaming.
"I tried to swim over to him.
“The three girls we were with also went to try and rescue him.
“I was in such shock that I started to panic.
“I could feel my lungs filling up with water and I twisted my ankle.
“I had to swim out of the lake and I saw the girls trying so hard to save him.
“I watched him go down in the water.”
Divers discovered Leon's body at around 8pm on Tuesday after searching the waters for almost two hours after the alarm was raised.
A commemoration was held at the lake on Thursday to remember the teen and music was played as loved ones laid flowers by the lake and toasted his life with beers.
Reece added: “He was a good guy, he was so kind and sensible. So many people loved him. I loved him with all my heart.”
Kayleigh Moore, 17, met Leon and Reece with her friends Natasha Taylor and Grace Swindels at the lake near Staines.
She said: “As it was a hot day the boys and girls were playing about in the lake.
"They wanted to swim to the other side of the lake where I was.
“Leon started struggling and I saw the others try to rescue him.
“He literally just went down in the water, he couldn’t swim.
"I'm a strong swimmer and I knew I could put my life at risk if I went to help him.
“Reece was yelling at me to ring the ambulance.
"The emergency services pulled his body from the water two hours later, it was very hard as I knew exactly where he would be.
"I'm being strong, there was nothing more we could do.
"We did all we could.
“Leon was so funny, always joking and was a massive ladies man.
“He really was a very lovely boy.”
Leon, from Roebuck Close in Feltham, went to Feltham Hill Junior School, going on to study at Lampton School.
One of Leon's best friends, Louise Sweeting was at the gathering and said she "can't believe it" and is devastated by his death.
She said: "He was known to be a bit of a flirt but he was a really good person.
"Once I heard he was gone, I was in denial.
"I kept on ringing his phone but it would go through to voicemail.
"He will be missed so much."
Friends also described the 19-year-old as a "well loved ladies man" and "always up to mischief."
Frankie Simmons, 18, who went to the gym with Leon commended his friends efforts to save him.
He said: "They were very brave, I have so much respect for them.
"It's amazing to see how many people turned up today, it shows how well loved he was.
"I really feel for his family at the difficult time."
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