Family pays tribute to “beautiful soul” who died in River Tees incident

The heartbroken family of a man who died after getting into difficulty in the River Tees have described him as a “beautiful soul”.

Emergency services were called to Gainford at around 2.30pm on Friday afternoon (June 20) following reports that a man had got info difficulty in the river.

Police officers, supported by search and rescue experts, carried out extensive searches throughout the afternoon. 

Sadly, the body of a 20-year-old man was recovered from the river later that evening.

He has been named today as Jacob Rutkowski from Darlington.

In a statement, his family said: “This devastating loss has left our entire family heartbroken beyond words.

“He was a son, brother, uncle, loving boyfriend – and above all, a beautiful soul taken far too soon.

“We ask for privacy while we grieve and try to come to terms with our unimaginable loss.”

There are believed to be no suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident and a report is being compiled on behalf of the coroner.