Family pay tribute to ‘loving and caring’ teenager who died in River Severn

The heartbroken family of a “loving and caring” teenage girl who died following an incident in the River Severn, have paid tribute to her, saying there is a “hole in our lives that will never heal”.

The body of 15-year-old Holli Smallman, from Welshpool, was found in the river at around 8pm on Friday, August 9, following a multi-agency search.

Holli’s family have paid tribute to her, saying they are overwhelmed by grief and she was “taken from us at far too young an age”.

They said they never wanted another family to go through the heartbreak they have experienced, and warned of the dangers of open water swimming, pleading for children and parents to take care.

‘Overwhelming grief’

In a statement released through Dyfed-Powys Police, they said: “We wish to express how heartbroken we are by the tragic passing of our loving and caring girl Holli. The overwhelming grief and heartache devastates us all.

“Holli was a beloved sister, daughter, granddaughter and was so well loved by all of her family, extended family and friends.

“Holli was fun-loving and lived a life full of song and dancing, had an infectious joy for life and her positive and lovable cheeky nature made an impact on everyone she ever met.”

They described Holli as being a popular pupil at Welshpool High School, who enjoyed art and being creative, with a flair for makeup and beauty, which she planned to train in after leaving school.

She had a strong bond with her group of friends, spending time with them in and outside school and was a popular member of the Welshpool Army Cadets.

They said: “Holli learned new life skills and she was maturing into a beautiful young and rounded person and was extremely supportive and caring to her siblings and family who meant the world to her.

“Holli has been taken from us at far too young an age. She had her whole life ahead of her and there will be a hole in our lives that will never heal, and we will never forget the amazing person that Holli was.

“She loved her family, and she loved her friends and showed that every day.”

Kindness

The family said they were overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and kindness shown to them by the community, thanking everyone for the messages they have received.

“We also have in our hearts and minds the friends who were with Holli that tragic day,” they said.

“The support and compassion shown to us from the community, we extend to them in this unimaginable time, and they are all in our thoughts.

“We also want to express our heartfelt thank you to all of the emergency services and rescue teams who did all they could to help Holli on that evening and the NHS staff at Telford who have been so supportive.”

The family asked for privacy and time while they deal with the loss of Holli.