A FAMILY friend paid tribute last night to the "mischievous, fun loving" youngster who died after falling into a swollen river.

Christopher Grant, 13, was playing with friends at the River Derwent, near Rowlands Gill, Gateshead, when tragedy struck.

His friends tried in vain to save him as they saw him slip beneath the surface.

His devastated family did not wish to speak about the tragedy last night.

But the estate in Barkwood Road, Rowlands Gills, where the youngster's family lives, was united in grief as word filtered through that he had died.

Neighbour and family friend David Brown, 29, said: "We are quite close friends with the family and it is awful to hear what has happened.

"The lad's sister came around last night and told us what had happened. We were so shocked. In fact everyone on the estate is devastated.

"She said her brother had been playing in the river with a group of friends when he slipped and banged his head. He went under the water and apparently he died later.

"It must have been awful. He was a mischievous lad, always laughing."

Flowers and tributes to Christopher, a pupil at Hookergate School in High Spen, Rowlands Gill, were left at the scene yesterday.

The alarm was raised by a passer-by who saw the boys struggling in the water at the weir beneath the road bridge over the River Derwent, near Gibside Chapel, at 5.50pm on Tuesday.

Witness Ivan Jeavons said he was aware of two boys in the water.

He said: "One had recovered by the time I got here. The other one was still in the water somewhere. The police were searching all down the river and he was eventually found under the weir."

Wearing lifejackets and with lines attached to their bodies, firefighters from Swalwell station, Gateshead, waded into the water and found Christopher under water.

He was air lifted to Newcastle General Hospital, but died shortly after.