THE family of Cory Nicholson, 21, from Calne who died in a lake have paid tribute to him.

Mr Nicholson, who grew up in Marlborough but recently moved to Calne with his mother and her partner, died on Tuesday at Cotswold Water Park, near Cirencester.

His body was pulled from the water by emergency services at about 8.50pm, seven hours after he went missing.

Mr Nicholson's family said they were devastated and heartbroken, and described him as "a huge family man" who loved spending time with them.

In a statement they said he enjoyed "big, wide adventures of many sorts".

According to reports, he had gone into the water at Lake 32 to look for his missing dog. Eyewitnesses described seeing two swimmers fruitlessly searching for Mr Nicholson.

His body was pulled from the lake by rescuers at around 8.50pm. A Gloucestershire Police spokesman said: “He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner and the man’s next of kin have been informed.”