A Syrian refugee who died while trying to help save a friend from drowning had come to the UK to try to make a better life for his family, a relative said.
Eyad Al Ryabi, a father-of-five, went into a stretch of water connected to the River Thames in Berkshire after a companion got into difficulty on Tuesday evening.
The 31-year-old, who had been living in Uxbridge, west London, had been with a group of friends at Lulle Brook in Cookham, Berkshire, for a day out in the good weather, his cousin told the PA news agency.
A body was recovered on Wednesday afternoon.
Khald Al Riabi said his cousin, from near Daraa in the south-west of Syria, had come to the UK towards the end of last year and hoped that his wife and children could have joined him soon.
Mr Al Riabi, who lives in Acton and works as a hairdresser, said the decision to leave his family back in his homeland was “very difficult” for his cousin but he wanted them to have the opportunity of a better life in Britain.
He told PA: “That’s why he came here. He came here to save his life and his family’s life. He was looking for an education for his children.
“He was a very good father. He looked after his family.”
He said Mr Al Ryabi’s wife was due to have an appointment for a visa early next month.
❗️ | Update on search for missing man – Cookham
Thames Valley Police officers working to locate a missing man in Cookham have found a body
Officers attended an area of water called Lulle Brook, between Odney Lane and Mill Lane, in Cookham, Maidenhead at around 7pm on Tuesday
— TVP Maidenhead (@TVP_Maidenhead) June 24, 2020
Formal identification of the body has not yet taken place, police said on Wednesday evening.
The death is being treated as unexplained and not suspicious and the man’s next of kin have been informed, the force added.
Superintendent Colin Hudson, LPA commander for Windsor and Maidenhead, said: “I am very sorry to have to bring this sad news. Our thoughts are with both men’s families during this very upsetting time.”
