Family pay tribute to 'funny' and 'kind' PT after body recovered from Dovestone Reservoir

Emergency services were called to reports of two people getting into difficulty in the water at Dovestone Reservoir, near Oldham, on Sunday, 20 October. Credit: Family photo

The family of a man who went missing while paddleboarding in a reservoir have paid tribute to the personal trainer who had "the power to bring everyone together".

Simon Daniels, 29, disappeared after getting into falling into the water with his girlfriend at Dovestone Reservoir, near Oldham on Sunday, 20 October.

Despite an extensive rescue effort, the Coastguard recovered his body three days later.

An extensive search operation was launched to find Simon Daniels. Credit: MEN Media

In a tribute to the 29-year-old, his family said his passion was "helping others to become the best version of themselves".

In a statement they said: “Simon is our world, he’s funny, unpredictable and has a heart as big as an ocean.

“His larger than life and his crazy personality lit up every room and his love, kindness and inspiration touched so many people who he met.

“Simon was a friend to everyone, nobody was a stranger in his eyes.

“His passions were fitness and the gym and helping others to become the best version of themselves.

“His heart was pure and he was unapologetically himself. Funny doesn’t cut it. He was hilarious. He had this power to bring everyone together. He just wanted everyone to be friends.

“He loved life and even at the darkest of times he still managed to light up the room.

“The community have also shown how much they loved Simon, church bells have rang in his memory along with fireworks. We had no idea how popular and inspirational he was in our local community.”